Our Caribbean Dreams
by AssassinSuzy
Summary: Rated T/M. Edward K & Julien du Casse x OC: Carmina considered Woodes Rogers her saviour since their meeting long ago, but when he changes his mind and separates her from her lover Julien, the only man she can turn to is Edward Kenway. A brash, young Pirate, Edward is not a man to intervene with. But Mina is determined to change him, and seek out her own Caribbean Dreams.
1. I - Prologue

Hello,

I know I haven't updated my other story, By a Templar's Side, for a _long _time now. I'm **really sorry**. I've had a lot of things happening and when I sat back and read over it, I couldn't figure out how to continue. I needed to write something new. So here it is! The prologue is short but it's just a sort of introduction, however it is vital to read this is you want to understand what is going on afterwards.

**Spoiler Warning **\- This story will spoil the game plot, at least slightly, in order to be credible however there will be some major changes to the game plot later on.

**Disclaimer **\- Everyone, except my OC, belongs to Ubisoft, images used in cover image as well, I just edited them and added stuff.

If you like this new story, please do leave a review, favorite and/or follow and if there is anything I could do better please do share, I will be happy with any critique. Thank you in advance! **Happy reading!**

_\- AssassinSuzy :)_

* * *

**_Our Caribbean Dreams_**

_'Flying close by, a jackdaw saw the deed, and it filled his head with the idea that he too was just as strong and capable.'_

_**_I – Prologue_**_

"You wanted to see me."

One hand was on her hip, her other resting against the cold wooden door-frame. His eyes never turned to her, they were patiently fixed on the rain outside, hitting the glass violently, the window shaking, the thunder outside unbearable.

"Yes, yes I did," his lips barely moved. She slowly approached him, her movements in time with the flowing motion of her long cotton dress. The delicate flame of the candle burned on as it melted around the bronze candle holder which stood on the old wooden desk. It lit up the area around the middle-aged man, enough for his features to be seen clearly, rain reflected in his eyes.

"What is it?" She stood behind him as he relaxed in the armchair, her arms softly reaching down to rest on his shoulders on each side. Her breath came close to his ear but he still refused to look her in the eyes.

"We need to talk Mina," he paused and turned from the window, now gazing deeply into the flame. Regret painted his expression. That was all that painted it though.

"What's the matter?," she breathed in deeply, "did I do something?"

For the first time that day he grasped onto her hand and pulled her around, her puzzled emerald eyes coming into view. Her eyebrows furrowed in worry and she stared into his deep blue orbs, and then he saw it. That emotion that struck him the first time he saw her, it grasped at his heart at that moment again and he couldn't come to terms with the decision he made minutes before. Her gaze wiped it all away.

"I-," he blinked a few times and his lips crinkled into a smile, "no, you haven't, of course you haven't my Dear."

"What is it then, you don't usually call on me in the evening."

"Julien and I will be meeting Governor Torres tomorrow and I would like for you to join me."

"That would be an honor, but will the Governor accept of me as your company?"

"Of course, he must for I only desire for you to meet him, nothing more, nothing less."

"I understand, I will get ready and you can call for me before leaving." She smiled faintly and looked towards the flame. "The rain, I don't like it."

"I know," he whispered and held his hand towards her. She took it, wavering, her pale palm intertwining with his. She closed her eyes, shutting off the flame which began to die down. He stood up and pulled her towards his larger form slowly, carefully.

"It hurts me to see you like this," he said as he brought her closer, her heat almost non-existent in the chilly air surrounding them. The familiar scent of her hair played with his senses as he leaned down to press a chaste kiss to her forehead. "This is your life now, forget about the past."

"I can't," her reply was a whimper and darkness surrounded her all the more when she was with him. Her hands were cold, fingertips shook with warmth as she pressed them to his scarred cheek.

The flame was already dead.

She took her only chance and reached out slowly, cautiously, if not now then when? When would she show him how she felt? All this, everything he gave her, would end soon enough, but she could prolong it. Even if for a fraction of a second. She pressed her freezing lips to his warm and inviting ones, he could have pushed her away, thrown her out. She wouldn't mind. But, he didn't. He placed his hands on her back and soothed the fabric of the dress down. With nothing more than compassion and desire, he returned her kiss and eagerly joined in. There was nothing to lose, he had the power, he had the right to be in possession of a mistress. Who forbid her from being his?

"Mina," he whispered as she kissed him sweetly, "Mina stop," he suddenly commanded.

Immediately she cut herself from him and stared into what seemed to be his eyes, she couldn't recognize him in the darkness.

"I apologize," was all she said as a response. Turning quickly, she shed a warm tear and felt the agonizing pain of rejection. "Goodnight, Sir."

"Goodnight Mina." He sat back down and watched her shadow jump across the wall as she disappeared through the door, her steps like thunder against the polished floor. He held his hands together and bowed his head in disappointment. Shame, regret. He sighed heavily and denied his own feelings, repressed whatever he thought he felt for the woman he had found so long ago. He considered following after her but knew it wasn't right. So he gave up. And waited for what would happen tomorrow. If tomorrow ever came.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this little intro, I will hopefully publish Chapter 2 tomorrow as I want it to be quite long (5-6 pages possibly).

_Thank you for reading :) Till next time!_


	2. II - Meeting Mr Walpole

Ahoy!

Another chapter is here, I hope you will like it :) Also, I just want to thank the first reviewer, it's encouraging to see someone enjoying the story (despite it only being in it's humble beginnings) so thank you very much ^^

**Disclaimer **\- Everyone, except my OC (and any other OC's later on), belongs to Ubisoft, images used in cover image as well, I just edited them and added stuff.

**_In this chapter our heroine faces some hard decisions and for the first time meets the mysterious Duncan Walpole._  
**

Hope you enjoy :)

_\- AssassinSuzy_

* * *

_'It's hard to say. For if Nothing is true, then why believe anything? And if everything is permitted... why not chase every desire?'_

_**II – Meeting Mr Walpole**_

With a pistol in her hand, Mina looked around to see if any-one could see her partaking in activities reserved only for men. The sack of hay stood not too far, one of the shooting targets spread around the courtyard. Taking a deep breath, her hand moving to aim at the head of the figure, she was ready to pull the trigger. If anything good came out of her past, it must have been learning self-defense.

A loud shot broke through the air as she released the tension built up inside her, the bullet flying right through the head of the hay sack. She looked up at the blazing sun, its hot rays didn't benefit her precision, or the beads of sweat that ran down her cheeks. Only the soothing breeze kept her going, the trees leaned to one side in agreement. The weather was typical, considering they were in Havana. It always seemed to be an endless summer. Still, she preferred the sun to the rain by a mile.

"Fantastic shot Mademoiselle," a familiar voice approached her as her heart flew to her throat at the realization of the trouble that was sure to follow. She lowered the pistol and turned to face her condemnation.

"A pleasure to see you Julien," she faked a smile at him, her finger twitching as it desired to pull the trigger once again at a livelier target. Even if he did – seem – to be very attractive on that day; a black leather Panama gracing his head and a red cape draped over his shoulder, the wind tugging at his dull chestnut hair and the golden feather attached to his hat. He trotted towards her and pulled the pistol from her grip, their fingers making contact for the first time since they separated all those months ago. He reloaded the pistol slowly while his eyes followed her annoyed expression. Without even paying attention to what he was doing, he lifted his arm up and shot a random target, perfectly. The shot silenced the wind for a few seconds, and Mina looked away, embarrassed for one reason or another. His precision was enviable, but not immensely impressive. That's what she told herself.

"Where did you learn to shoot eh'? Women aren't usually taught such a dangerous skill."

"I have my own methods," she replied hastily, "ones which you needn't concern yourself with."

"As secretive as ever," he snickered, "the Carmina we all learned to love." He put the pistol down on a small wooden table and opened the ebony box nearby, checking for the presence of the hidden blades. "We men are unlucky bastards, admiring another's possession," he muttered. She knew perfectly well what he meant, but knew he should have got over what happened, there was no point in dwelling on past events.

"I never recall desiring your admiration Julien," she couldn't care less about the consequences of speaking to him in such a way, Julien wouldn't exactly like the results of further condemning her actions either. "At least not after-"

"I know, after _that_," he stared into her eyes, his once confident grin disappearing, "you're not doing any better by choosing Rogers though, all he ever thinks about is chasing those god-damned Pirates."

"Julien! I don't want you talking about him in that way," she sighed and turned away from him, her eyes tracing the mansion and it's surroundings, pretending not to care for any of his words.

"I know him better than you," his French accent made the words sound even sharper than they were intended to be, "do you really think he cares for you?"

"I don't know! Why should it concern me either way, he has his life and I have mine, all I can be is thankful to him Julien, why should I ask for more?"

"Because you deserve more Mina!" He shouted, and then grasped her shoulders with his worn out palms, combing back her soft blond hair. He leaned in close, "I can give you what you deserve, just give me one more chance, I-"

"I'm sorry Julien," she turned to him and softly pushed his hands away, denying her need for his touch. She didn't want all the memories to return. Ever again. "I know you mean well, and I forgive you, but I can't. I just can't."

"I understand," he nodded. He stared into her eyes though, he wasn't able to let go. Not yet. "Can you-," he muttered, "give me one last kiss Mademoiselle?"

She smiled softly and reached out to take hold of his hand, it was as worn as ever, but the touch wasn't the same. It was meaningless. He leaned down, being much taller than her, and pressed his forehead to hers. She felt guilty, maybe he was right, maybe he knew what was best for her, but she didn't want him. Not anymore. She pressed a soft kiss to his lips, for a few seconds they just stood there like that, but it had to end. Before Rogers found out. Before her true beloved discovered them. She pulled back and stepped away, taking hold of Julien's pistol and pulling the trigger, this time, the shot missed the hay sack. Instead it went straight through a wooden sign nearby, imprinting it. Some things one can never be good at.

* * *

"What is the matter for God's sakes?" A loud and agitated shout broke through, it's owner approaching them with haste, "I heard gunshots."

"Rogers!" Julien smiled and welcomed his friend with open arms, but Rogers ignored him, instead giving Mina a stern look as she put the pistol back down on the table.

"Where the hell do you think you are?" he took Mina's hand, grasping at it and pulling her towards himself violently, nearly tripping her over. "What gave you the right to start shooting that pistol? Do you plan on hurting yourself?"

"She did a good job, Rogers, don't be so harsh on her," Julien responded and reloaded his own pistol, "you have to let her engage in other activities as well."

"Other activities? Do you really want to start learning how to shoot Mina?"

"I-," she gave him a confused gaze and then looked away, shaking her head, "no, not really."

"I thought so, she knows what is best for her Julien, so if I may ask you, please don't meddle in our personal affairs," Rogers gave his friend a hard stare, and then dismissed the matter. Julien just grunted in disagreement but refused to anger Rogers any more.

"Mina, may I talk to you for a second?" The soon to be Governor of the Bahamas whispered, but Mina only nodded and followed him as they stepped into the Gardens nearby. Maybe Julien was right, her saviour only desired her to an extent, and they could never be together. He was a respectable man, she would only shame his name. The warm summer breeze hit her skin again as she stood before the tall man who she deemed to love. The flowers didn't seem to catch her attention, nor the quiet rustling of the trees. Only the tension between her and this man, his words and actions would either free her or ruin her. She closed her eyes and lowered her head, waiting for the oncoming argument.

"I will give you whatever you want Mina, you just have to ask," he took her hand and she gazed up at him, slightly shocked. "I just don't want you speaking with Julien from now on, not after what he has done to you, can you promise me that?"

"Yes, I promise, I swear, I-," he hushed her suddenly. His lips collided with hers, and she felt her heart pulled out of her chest as he pressed her to himself, his kiss hot and rough. It seemed to be a dream. Even if it wasn't. He caressed her hair as they relished the contact. He suddenly stopped, his lips still against hers, whispering something at first inaudible, "I saw what happened, and it sparks something in me."

"What?"

"I realized I just want you for myself. It was a mistake to introduce you to Julien in the first place, the whole time I blamed myself, hating the fact that you were spending the night with him instead of me," he admitted gently, taking her hand. All she could do was stare in astonishment at his proclamation. She suddenly felt something cold on her ring finger and looked down, noticing he was slipping a gold ring on her hand as discreetly as he could. She gasped and couldn't bring herself to speak.

"What is the meaning of this?" She stuttered. He smiled and pressed a warm kiss to her forehead. "But-"

"I want you to remember who you belong to, even after I'm gone from this land," he whispered.

"Gone?"

"I'm leaving for Britain soon, leaving to become Governor, hopefully," he softly replied, and realized what it meant caring for someone for the first time, not wanting to leave them. He hated himself for not realizing sooner. But he couldn't help but hate himself for being so naïve and falling for such a woman in the first place.

"I see, I won't ever forget this gesture of yours, in my eyes, you're already a Governor," she smiled and he took her into his arms, suddenly desiring her warmth again.

"Mina, we should go back."

"I know," she nodded and added quietly, "thank you." He smiled and held her hand as they trotted back towards the courtyard, the sun shining brightly but the breeze cooling the air, the mansion casting a shadow over them.

"You may sit, but remember to greet the guest and the Governor as we meet them." Mina only nodded and smiled, sitting next to the table on the carved wooden bench, watching the two men begin some sort of shooting competition between themselves. She took the book she left on the table and turned the pages carefully, looking for where she left off. A sort of happiness tugged at her heart though, and she couldn't concentrate, everything that just happened kept replaying itself in her head. She couldn't help but look over at the man who just denied everything Julien said, maybe he cared for her little, but at least it was more than nothing. Maybe there was still hope. The few minutes that passed seemed to drag on endlessly until an approaching figure caught her attention, it wasn't any of the Spanish guards though, it was a roughly dressed man, his steps quick and heavy.

"Look who's coming," Julien retorted and proceeded with shooting the hay targets. As the rough man stood before them, Mina immediately stood up and walked to stand next to Rogers. A silence came over everyone, broken by another crack of the pistol being fired by Julien.

"Mr Duncan Walpole I presume?"

"Correct, it's an honor Gentlemen," the man spoke in a slight Welsh accent, and Mina inspected his features closely. His hair was blond and tied in a short ponytail, his features rough as she presumed, a stubble on his chin and cheeks accompanied by several small scars and scratches. He wore a long navy jacket with a white hood and had two swords at each side.

"I must say my wife has a terrible eye of description," Rogers said, suspicion layering his dark tone.

"I'm sorry?"

"My wife, you met her some years ago at the Percy's Masquerade Ball," he continued. Mina stood by his side, uncomfortable at the mention of the woman Rogers left not recently. Dismissing what seemed to be jealousy, she gazed away, the man they called 'Walpole' catching her action.

"She called you _devilishly handsome_-" he sternly pushed forward, but then began to smile jokingly, "obviously a lie to stoke my jealousy." Walpole laughed along, fear gripping at him, clearly evident in his eyes. "This is Julien du Casse, a fellow friend in our cause, he will provide you with anything you require." Julien turned at the mention of his name and shook Walpole's hand, "I hope you will not betray us Mr Walpole, for I have much hate for Assassin's however despise liars even more so."

"I am not here to disappoint," Walpole replied eagerly and gave them a convincing smile. He then looked over at Mina, who's gaze caught his as she shyly bowed her head in respect.

"Ah yes, this is Carmina, my Mistress," Rogers announced and she nearly lost her breath at his open admittance of their relationship. No shame covered his voice, only a sense of pride, which made her heart skip again. She lifted her head up to see the blue-eyed turncoat Assassin staring at her. She reached her hand out, the man taking it eagerly and placing a soft kiss on her knuckles, the gold ring gleaming brightly in the light. She watched him, and began to feel warm inside for reasons unknown, caution overtaking her as she recognized she never felt something like that before. Not with Rogers, not with Julien. There was something about this man, but she just couldn't place her finger on what it really was. It may have been mere seconds, but felt like an eternity before the man let her hand go and was looking into her eyes again.

"Well Duncan, why don't we do some practice target before the old man asks for us?" Rogers proposed, and grunted when he noticed said man not planning on breaking eye contact with Mina. She looked away suddenly and the man realized his actions, quickly nodding and grunting in agreement, not planning to arouse any suspicion.

"Excellent idea," he replied, two pistols thrown at him suddenly by none other than Julien. He caught and loaded the pistols carefully, all three men aiming at their respective targets, Mina sat down and sighed, deciding to finish the book she was reading. The constant shots didn't allow her to concentrate on the text though, so she shut the pages with a loud thud and stepped over to Rogers.

"What do you think?"

"Pardon?" She looked over at him as he shot his own pistol, however not as precisely as Walpole, who managed to shoot perfect head shots every time, directing her attention to him instead.

"Mina?" Rogers asked again, she quickly caught his impatient gaze and smiled.

"You're doing fine." She heard a stifled laugh from both Julien and Walpole who continued shooting. "What?"

"Fine, just fine?" He asked, "is that all you have to say?"

"Well, what else should I say?"

"You're unbelievable," he sighed and put the pistol down. The other men continued laughing as quietly as they possibly could. She reached out to caress his arm, but he pushed her hand away. Her lips let out a breath as she closed her eyes in distress, he was an ill-tempered man indeed. Upon opening her eyes, she noticed Walpole staring at her with a worried look, she smiled faintly and desired for nothing more than to be embraced by someone at that moment. While Rogers muttered something under his breath, Julien handed Walpole two blades, which he put on his arms.

"No Assassin is an Assassin without his hidden blades Mr Walpole, you were very ill-equipped I must say," Julien added.

"I threw out my other ones, they were, damaged," Walpole quickly replied.

"Let us test your mettle then, Mr Walpole, we prepared an obstacle course suited exactly to the skills of the Assassin's," Rogers said casually, taking no notice of his Mistresses distressed demeanour. Julien and Walpole followed him down a path into a different part of the courtyard, leaving Mina by herself. Feeling rather unwanted, the happiness that tugged at her heart before, faded away.

* * *

Upon the men's return a short while later, she was sitting on the bench, consumed by the book she brought with her.

"Mina, Governor Torres is requesting us, do you want to accompany me or not?" Rogers asked suddenly, her small form nearly jumping in surprise. She looked up, but avoided his eyes, afraid for the first time, of looking into them. She didn't want to discover what expression he wore, fear gripping her emotions.

"I will," she simply replied and stood up, smoothing her dress down and catching up to the other to men, completely ignoring Rogers. If he wanted it to be like this, she thought, it will.

"Mademoiselle," Julien smiled as he saw her.

"_Bonjour_ Julien," she replied, his smile widening at her eager reply. Rogers followed behind them, glaring at both Julien and Mina, knowing she was using jealousy against him, and already regretting his previous actions. They climbed up some stone stairs before reaching Governor Torres, who was sitting at his desk, pen in hand. He stood up when they approached him and shook Walpole's hand, greeting him.

"You have made the right decision Mr Walpole, however were you able to retrieve what I have asked of you?" The Governor was an old, graying, man who dressed in fine coats and shirts. He had a fine, dignified voice which resounded through the air as he spoke.

"Yes, Sir," Walpole nodded and took out a mysterious looking contraption. A small glass cube with a tiny vial inside, it was empty.

"Excellent Mr Walpole-," he suddenly noticed the presence of a woman among them and turned to the rather confused Mina, who was new to their Assassin and Templar talk.

"And who may you be?"

"Mina-"

"She is Carmina, Governor, my Mistress," Rogers cut in and introduced her. She gave him a quick glance and then turned to smile politely at the old man. He nodded in approval and said nothing more, leading the men into a small closed off patio nearby.

"Stay here," Rogers told her before joining the Templar's. All she could do was nod, but still have a rather different idea in mind.

* * *

Thank you for reading and if you liked it, please Review/Fave/Follow, it really means a lot to me. Chapter 3 is currently in production, so should be up tomorrow or the day after. Till next time! ^.^


	3. III - Always My Saviour

Hello again,

Yay, another chapter is here! (on the same day :D) This one is shorter (to maintain effect) but we find out more about the weird relationship between Carmina and Woodes Rogers. Hmm, interesting! ^^ And yes Rogers is quite an angry man.

**Disclaimer **\- Everyone, except my OC (and any other OC's later on), belong to Ubisoft, images used in the cover image as well, I just edited them and added stuff.

_**In this chapter Carmina discovers Woodes Roger's feelings, how will this end for her?**_

Hope you enjoy and thank you to the reviewers for the positive feedback. :)

\- _AssassinSuzy_

* * *

_'The people never have the power, only the illusion of it. And here is the real secret: they don't want it. The responsibility is too great to bear.'_

_**III – Always my Saviour**_

"I can't just stand here and do nothing," Mina whispered to herself impatiently. She looked down on the stones beneath her feet and slowly looked up, an idea flowing through her thoughts. She saw the open doors of the patio and took slow, unsure but steady, steps towards the building. She leaned in closely, her body against the cold stone wall, her eyes cautiously attempting to look in. The men luckily had their backs to her, leaning over a large wooden table, upon which various maps were spread around. She could hear them perfectly, however could not comprehend what they were conversing about.

"This should be the approximate location of the Observatory," Torres spoke up confidently, and pointed to something on one of the maps.

"The blood of the Sage is required to enter," Julien said and everyone turned to look at him.

"Yes, it is, we however are in possession of the Sage."

"How do you know he is the one?" Rogers asked, his distinct voice reminded Mina of who he really was. A Templar. And she wasn't so sure whether he was doing anything that would benefit him, let alone be legal.

"That is what we are going to find out, however I am sure he is the man we have searched for, for the past decade," Torres replied quickly and continued telling them about the Observatory, which hid some kind of device which would allow them to see anyone anywhere. The mere thought of such privacy invasion caused shivers to run down Mina's spine, however what caught her attention all the more was Walpole's completely uninterested behaviour.

Suddenly, he moved and brushed past Rogers, his hand going into his pocket and taking out whatever valuables he had inside. Mina gasped in shock and panic, not knowing what to do. The thief continued pickpocketing both Julien and Torres, with no consideration for whatever consequences such actions had in store for him. She stood there, watching him.

Abruptly, the man looked up and caught her horrified stare. He smiled though, and lifted up his finger to his lips, signalling her to stay silent. Their eyes stayed locked for a few more seconds before she disappeared behind the wall, gasping, afraid. She had to tell Rogers, but something tugged at her heart, telling her not to. Telling her that this man, who called himself 'Walpole', may be of an even more dangerous nature than Rogers himself.

She closed her eyes as the sun began to blind her, and stepped away until she returned to the place where Rogers left her before. She readjusted herself, smoothing down the creases in her patterned dress and combing through her hair with her fingertips, pretending nothing happened. All she wanted was to go home, and never see Walpole again. She belonged to Rogers, _'__I want you to remember who you belong to'_, and she knew she had to do everything in her power to keep it that way.

"Maybe he'll love me one day," she whispered and held her hands together.

* * *

"Mina, Mina wait!"

"What?" She shouted back as she hurried upstairs, struggling to avoid Rogers who kept following after her. She climb the other set of stairs until she reached the long and intricately decorated corridor. She leaned against the wall in hopes that he gave up the chase, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Mina, what gave you the right to run away from me like that?" His voice sounded closer and closer until she felt his heat nearby. And then his palms rested against the wall and enclosed her, until she felt there was no sense in escaping this man who was certain of his possession of her.

"I'm not a toy, I have feelings too," she whispered. He sighed and furrowed his brows. She still refused to look him in the eyes, instead deciding to avoid him at all costs. To no avail.

"I never suggested you don't," he replied and reached out to caress her porcelain cheek with his fingers, softly tracing her jaw. She couldn't help but shiver under his touch and give in to his power over her. "Give up, you're mine and you know it well enough Mina."

"Master-" She sighed as his lips landed on her skin, her cheeks turning a magenta shade at the contact. "But you're-"

"I may have who ever I desire, and so I choose you," he replied. She turned her eyes to his, which shone with power which she has never seen before, their hazel taking in her small and quivering form. Feeble beneath his glory. "Don't ever try to run, don't ever try to hide, I will always find you my Dear, and you will always have my imprint upon your body."

In seconds his lips crashed into hers and kissed her with unravelled passion. He tied his fingers in her hair and indulged himself in her taste, her heart quickening with each beat.

Before she even realized, he caught her body in his and threw her onto the soft velvet covers, her head leaning into the softness of the many pillows that decorated his King sized bed. One which she only ever saw when passing by, or when he wanted her to change it's covers. He would never let another maid do it, no, it was only ever her. Until she wasn't his maid any more. But his mistress. She inhaled the scent and took hold of his neck as he kissed her, she looked him in the eyes, they burned with lust. Did she not want this? Did she not dream of this? It hurt to realize that it was only lust that drove him, but what could she expect from a loveless man?

"I will make you call my name, Mina, and beg me for mercy," he whispered as he caressed her form and pressed hot kisses to her neck. She felt happy, she was kissed and touched and admired by the man she loved. But it all seemed like a fairytale, like she persuaded herself she wanted him, but didn't really. And she hated herself for it. Hated herself for believing she loved him. "Mina?"

Tears tainted her cheeks as she turned away, burying her face in one of the pillows. He sat on the edge of the bed, taking his head in his hands, distressed at her reaction.

"I know this might bring the past back, but understand that I want you," he spoke softly. She didn't reply though, and silence was one thing Rogers was not fond of.

"If you don't tell me what troubles you, I can't do anything about it," he continued. She laid on her back then, and looked him in the eyes again. Worry nor compassion seemed to be reflected back at her, just annoyance. She opened her lips to speak, but closed them, wiping away remaining tears. "I can't love you Mina, I don't know how."

"What do you mean you don't know how?" She sat up, her heart pierced with his words. He looked back at her, his eyes, for what seemed like the first time ever, filled with honest disappointment and despair.

"I may have done a lot for you Mina, and I am thankful for what you have given back to me, but I'm not going to give you everything you desire," he lowered his head slightly, "especially not love."

"Why do you tell me this now?" She hissed, her hands shaking in unforeseen anger, "you want me all to yourself, you embrace me and never let me go out to make friends of any sort, you even go as far as separating me from Julien-"

"I had my reasons-"

"You made me despise him, what for?"

"He would've played with you for a while and then what? At least I give you shelter, food, a rank, a title."

"Who the hell do you all consider me to be? A toy? An emotionless vessel?" She shouted, a tear escaping her eye. "You all just want my body, don't you?"

"Well what else can you give me? I don't want any woman, I just want you! Every man desires a woman, it's not always love that leads our actions Mina, realize the truth!"

She closed her eyes and denied everything he just said, praying for everything to go back to normal. She already regretted showing any sort of emotion, she could have given him what he wanted, satisfied him. She could have continued fooling herself, imagining that he loved her as much as she thought she loved him.

"I wish you at least lied to me, lied that you cared, it still would have felt better than knowing the truth," she whispered, laying back down, soothing the covers with her palms. The light from the chandelier died out when she saw him hovering over her.

"I wish I could love you, Mina," he reached out to wipe a tear off her cheek, its softness reminding him of what he was truly missing out on, "that is all I have wished for since meeting you, since taking in that young girl, cold, lost, afraid."

"I haven't changed, I'm still that girl."

"No, not any more Mina, you're no longer anything else than the source of my desires, which have tortured me for so long," he uttered through gritted teeth, "I can't take this any more, I can't bear lusting after you any longer, and _not_ getting what _I want_." He got off the bed abruptly, and hid his face in his pale palms, hiding his scar, a remainder of the past. He took a step forward, slowly, not wanting to leave her, but knowing he had to.

"You were always my saviour," she cried softly, knowing this was the end. He turned to face her, and smiled a soft, apologetic, honest smile. One which didn't suit him.

"I know."

* * *

Well, this makes us question indeed!

Thank you for reading, I really appreciate it, and if you liked this chapter/story please leave a Review/Fave/Follow, I will be very thankful. =^^=

Till next time! :o


	4. IV - Time to Leave

Hello,

This ones quite emotional :') Thank you to all the lovely reviews, made me very happy - so I quickly uploaded another chapter! ^^

**Disclaimer **\- Everyone, except my OC (and any other OC's later on), belong to Ubisoft, images used in the cover image as well, I just edited them and added stuff.

_**Chapter IV in which Carmina discovers the feelings of a man who always watched her from afar.**_

Hope you enjoy this one :3

_\- AssassinSuzy_

* * *

_'Yet when I turn around, and look at the course I've run... there's not a man or woman that I love left standing beside me.'_

_**IV – Time to Leave**_

It rained again that evening, and the morning after, until the weather finally cleared up. The sun still hid behind the clouds, its rays never once meeting the stone alleyways of Havana.

"I'm off to meet the others," Rogers announced, his steps heavy as he descended the stairs. Mina stood on top of them, watching him leave, the pain from the previous day never leaving her, every time she thought of it she desired only to cry. She was sent away that evening, alone in her room, like always. She even considered writing a letter to Julien, but knew it wouldn't be the right thing to do. Not in such a situation. She waved to Rogers who stopped abruptly at the bottom of the never-ending staircase.

"You may go shopping or whatever you women do these days while I'm gone," he added and stepped forwards, approaching the door. Something tugged at his heart, he wanted to turn and say 'be careful' or 'I will be back soon', but dismissed it, instead leaving her there, alone again. He even shut the door too heavily, by mistake, which probably made him seem angrier than he was. She stared at the empty space that he left, and never felt as lonely as she did at that moment. She slowly made her way down the stairs, tracing his movements, and knew there was no point waiting, she could only follow after him.

* * *

Havana was always crowded, it seemed difficult getting past all the passer-by's which flooded the streets, but Mina could see Rogers in the distance, accompanied by his Templar friends. They were nearing the docks, probably planning on meeting the Sage who they captured beforehand. Mina followed on close behind, pushing through the crowds, trying not to look suspicious. The stone houses, decorated with various shrubs and greenery, stood still, surrounding every street and path. Spanish guards also trotted around proudly, pushing anyone who was in their way, rather arrogantly.

They reached the docks, stepping into a small wooden construction, disappearing from Mina's sight. She couldn't risk stepping any closer though, she leaned against a stone fence, which spread around the docks. This gave her a clear view, however she cold hear little of what was going on. Unexpectedly, the men swiftly exited, a few guards by their side and a new addition to their group. A bearded man, with long black hair and a bandanna around his head. He was dressed in rags and had his wrists tied together.

She gasped as they stepped out and looked around, fear gripping her as she saw no place that could let her hide. She walked away quickly, trying to blend in with the crowds as the men were getting closer. She saw a small stall with fruits and vegetables, and hastily turned around, pretending to inspect the produce, hiding in the shadows. They passed by her blindly, not even noticing an out of the ordinary figure lurking in the darkness. She turned to watch them leave, knowing it would be dangerous to attempt to follow them. She battled with herself, considering different possibilities, but in the end deciding that she had nothing left than discovering what Rogers was really up to, he couldn't hate her more than he already did. There was nothing left to lose.

The men roamed the streets, their destination unknown to Mina, who slowly walked behind them, until they abruptly stopped in their tracks. She felt a shiver of fear as she predicted the worse, noticing a hooded figure on top of the rooftops, aiming some sort of blowpipe at the guards.

"Watch out!" She shouted, all the men suddenly turning and noticing the onslaught of who seemed to be Assassins. The buildings enclosed them and people began to scream as shots were fired, cracking through the once peaceful air. She ran up to the Templar's, their shocking gazes following her actions. She immediately took a pistol from one of the guards who rested on the stone pavement, dead. Her hands fiddled with the bullets, reloading as quickly as her small fingers allowed her to, and pulling the trigger at one of the Assassins, then at another.

"Mina, get away from here now!" Rogers shouted as he shot his own pistols. Torres was long gone, with Walpole following close behind. Julien picked up a sword and began slicing one of his victims, swiftly piercing the stomach of another one as blood gushed out onto the stones below their feet, their bodies falling to their ground, horrifying expressions imprinted in the woman's memory. "Do you not hear me? Go, now!"

"I'm not leaving, you need help!" She cried but he pushed her as one of the Assassin's ran straight at them with a slim and sharp dagger. Rogers clashed his sword with the dagger, and she quickly reloaded her pistol, while Rogers struggled, for the first time, afraid for his own life.

A loud shot resounded through the air, passing straight through the Assassin's skull, his lifeless vessel heavily dropping to the ground. Red seeped through his skin, its thick droplets falling off and bouncing against the hard stone. The onslaught continued elsewhere as screams were heard from afar, the wave of Assassin's left to pursue Torres and Walpole. Julien ran after them, but Rogers stood there, somehow admiring Mina's courage. He stared at the bodies, realising she saved his life. The sudden thought hitting him like a ton of stones, his head felt heavy and he still could not believe, _she_ had to be the one to save him. _She of all people._

"Mina-"

"I- I told you- you needed help," she whimpered and dropped the pistol to the ground, a piercing clash of breaking wood against the pavement. His eyes took in the sight of her, blood seeping through her lace dress, her hair messy and her eyes wet with tears. He took a step towards her but she took a step back cautiously, afraid, afraid of death. Her hands shook in horror and she reached out to grasp at something which wasn't there. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to help," she cried. He ran up to her though and grabbed her, pressing her meek form to himself, kissing her forehead comfortingly, never knowing he was capable of such actions. Was that what it was like to care for someone, to never want them to get hurt, to see death in the way she did?

She pushed him away though, this time with more strength and force. "Please don't, I might make you _desire me again_," she spat out in disgust. He was taken aback and at that moment realized what he lost. He finally began to regret his actions, the consequences evident.

"No Mina, I didn't mean it in that way-"

"Of course you didn't, you just wanted to use me, and I know that. Please stop fooling yourself."

"I want to take care of you Mina, I want you to be with me."

"That isn't what you said last night when I was so close to giving myself to you."

"I know," he sighed, "I realized it when it was too late."

"I don't know who you are any more, are you the man I fell in love with or a Templar with no consideration for his own feelings?" Her once sweet voice was layered with fear and aggression, but she continued through heavy breaths, "let alone the feelings of the woman who was by your side this whole time?"

"Do not bring the Templar's into this Mina, the Templar's didn't change me."

"No, you're right," she scoffed, "it was power that changed you. Or rather the excess of it."

* * *

The afternoon was colder, darker. A storm was coming, the people of Havana hid inside their homes, or searched for shelter among the taverns and sheds spread around the small town. The guards closed themselves off in the fort, and the few that were left shared in their misery and complained, hiding under anything that would save them from the oncoming rain. Mina walked around the streets pointlessly though, refusing to go home. Rogers may have offered to take her to the safety and warmth of their house, but she left him and decided to venture out into the unknown, her past leading her and being her shadow as she remembered every corner, every turn and every pavement.

"Carmina?" A nostalgic voice broke her trial of thoughts, her lips letting out a sigh as Julien approached her eagerly, surprisingly, Walpole stood behind him, waving towards Mina and giving her a soft smile.

"What are you doing out here?" He asked and grasped her arm, leading her under some shelter as the first droplets of rain began falling from the graying sky.

"I should be asking you the same thing," she smiled briefly before turning her gaze to Walpole, his eyes never leaving her as he stepped under the roof, standing close to her, so close she almost felt the heat radiating off him.

"We're patrolling for any more Assassins"

"And were you successful in your endeavors?"

"They're all gone, disappeared entirely. So no, we did not have such luck."

"Shame," she sighed again and then looked up into his eyes, he leaned in as if on cue and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, closing his eyes peacefully, desiring to be close to her again. "Julien, he hates me," she suddenly whimpered.

"Who?"

"Rogers hates me, I tried to love him, but all he ever wanted was my body, I don't know what to do Julien-," she began to cry softly, the rain suddenly pouring down, bouncing off the roof and already forming small puddles in the crevices of the stones which formed the path nearby.

"Mina," he hushed her and took hold of her body, embracing her as she cried. Walpole's expression changed, he felt compassion, but didn't know how to react. He wanted to help her somehow, but knew not to involve himself, not when his identity was at stake. He had other things to worry about, even if the sight of a crying woman did indeed affect him, more deeply than he wanted to. "He doesn't hate you, that bastard just doesn't know anything about caring for another person, he was always like that."

"Do you care for me?" She whispered, he slowly took a step forward, pressing her against the cold wall, her body leaning into his, not wanting to let his warmth leave her.

"Yes I do," he whispered softly as a reply, his palm pressed against her waist. Walpole began to feel slightly awkward, as if he was an uninvited guest, disturbing them in their reconciliation.

"I'll leave you two," he smirked under his breath and was already gone, the pair not even noticing his sudden departure.

"Stay with me tonight," Julien said, his voice layered with so many different meanings of those few caring words. "Rogers separated us, but it doesn't have to stay that way."

"Julien, I feel wrong, I feel like I'm just being played by everyone-"

"I'm different Mina, believe me, I only want the best for you." He leaned in even closer until she felt his breath against her lips, her small hands latched onto the fabric of his white shirt. All the while the rain poured down, their shelter saving them from it, however the bitter wind still hit them with its stinging coldness. She didn't feel it though, as Julien's fiery form sheltered her, warming her body up while being cold himself. His small sacrifice melting her heart for a moment.

"Please stay with me, I missed you this whole time," he whispered and nuzzled his lips in her neck, inhaling her peachy aroma, mixed with the familiar scent of her skin. "I missed your touch, I missed your body, I missed your voice-."

"Julien," she sighed softly as her lips reached out to kiss his, enclosing around them, his lips turning into a smile as he kissed her back. His arms tied around her, lifting her up onto her tiptoes as he deepened the embrace, enfolding her in his warmth and affection.

"Come with me Mina," he whispered as he broke the kiss. She stared into his eyes, confused and craving nothing more than the kindness he provided her with. "Please."

She nodded, feeling him take hold of her hand, planning to make a run for it, in the rain.

If only such moments lasted forever.

* * *

What will happen next? :O

Thank you so much for reading, if you liked this chapter/story please leave a Review/Fave/Follow, I will be very thankful. =^^=

Till next time!


	5. V - Burning Memories

Hello there,

Maybe this chapter will clarify some things - _at least slightly. _Thank you to all the reviewers, and I'm looking forward to reading more as Mina's story develops :3

**Disclaimer **\- Everyone, except my OC (and any other OC's later on), belong to Ubisoft, images used in the cover image as well, I just edited them and added stuff.

_**Chapter V in which Mina discovers that she has the freedom to do what she wants, no matter how it affects those who wish to control her.**_

Hope you like this one =^^=

\- _AssassinSuzy :)_

_Note: I listened to Celine Dion's, 'It's all coming back to me now,' for inspiration/to set the mood. :3 _

* * *

_'To say that everything is permitted is to understand that we are the architects of our actions and that we must live with our consequences, whether glorious or tragic.' _

_**V – Burning Memories**_

"She isn't coming back is she?" Rogers growled, turning a gold coin and spinning it around on the surface of the table.

"What do you think?" Torres replied curtly and sipped at the cognac, his wrinkled hands leisurely holding the glass as he leaned back in the armchair. The fire lit up the room, the painting above it staring into Rogers' eyes. His eyebrows furrowed in annoyance and he impatiently sighed.

"Julien, she's with him," he knocked the coin over and suddenly threw it in the fire angrily.

"What do you exactly expect, you didn't treat her with much respect."

"What are you suggesting Governor?"

"I had my share of experiences Mr Rogers, I know how to deal with a woman."

"How? She wanted me to _love_ her, I don't know how-"

"Are you not just persuading yourself that you don't know Mr Rogers?" Torres cut him off. The man gave him a confused gaze and reached for his own glass, chucking it down. "Do we not all desire to be controlled, but loved?"

"Loved?"

"It's not all that difficult, maybe you'll eventually discover the truth for yourself. The Templar doctrine does not forbid us from feeling love and desire Mr Rogers, maybe what you really wanted to tell her was that you loved her, but your social status differences prevented you from doing so?" Torres casually explained, earning a heavy sigh from Rogers, who despite regretting his actions, still considered Mina's desires inappropriate.

"How could they not? I cannot simply marry her!"

"Who is stopping you?"

"With all due respect Governor, but why am I discussing this with you anyway?"

"God knows Mr Rogers, if you do not wish for me to involve myself in your affairs, do not mention them when in my presence, nor complain about the whereabouts of your Mistress," he put the glass down and got up, annoyed with the man's behavior, "it is your responsibility to know where your Mistress is and why, Good Day Mr Rogers, for I am taking my leave."

"I apologize Governor, I will sort this matter immediately," he followed after the man.

"I should think so, to let such a marvelous creature escape your grasp, shame Mr Rogers, shame indeed." Torres exited the Mansion swiftly, leaving Rogers even angrier than before. He shut the door and pinched his temple in desperation, deciding to sort Mina out in the morning, she must have just wandered somewhere and decided to be back by the end of the evening, wanting to make him worry. Yes, she must have.

* * *

Burning candles lit the room, the crimson paint on the walls, the intricate patterns, they all held so many memories. The wood creaked under her light steps, just like in the past. It wasn't so long ago when she visited Julien, nearly every day. Every time he had her pressed against the wall, kissing her softly. He was a man of burning passion. And she remembered every single detail, regretting that what they had couldn't last, not when she belonged to Rogers. The room was spacious, a window on the side hidden by cotton curtains in a matching shade to the walls. A large bed was pushed to the edge of the opposite wall, its golden canopy flowing down to the floor. It was covered in patterned satin covers and was home to a colony of pillows, their softness inviting.

"You remember," Julien muttered and then smiled as he entered the room, Mina's eyes opening in surprise as she laid her eyes upon his revealed torso.

"Of course I do," she admitted, "those memories were always close to my heart."

He gave her a sincere smile and ruffled his wet hair, his skin shivering from the coldness of the rain. She instinctively pressed her heated palms to his arms in response. She looked up at him and noticed what she was doing, feeling embarrassed for a second, but didn't pull back, wanting to feel his skin warm under her own.

"I'm glad," he sighed good-heartedly, his navy-grey orbs glazing over her body.

"I regret letting go" she whispered, caressing his arm slowly, recognizing every ridge and scar. He hasn't changed, unlike Rogers. It hurt to think about it. Julien was there to console her, everything would return to how it used to be. "I could have believed you."

"I know, it's alright though," he replied and leaned in, his hands pulling down her dress, wanting to feel her skin again. The soft, pale skin of his Goddess which he couldn't let go. He missed her so. She led him over to the bed, sharing with him a hopeful look. He pressed her down and began to close his lips over hers. His delicate embraces were comforting, she felt safe with him. More safe than she ever felt before.

"Julien," she let out a sigh as he pressed butterfly kisses to her neck, "will you protect me?"

"Of course, you are in my hands now, I won't let that bastard touch you ever again."

"Promise?" She whispered and he fell next to her, relaxing. She propped herself up above him, her hair framing his face as it landed on his skin. He smiled and reached his palm to caress her cheek, its fire reminding him of the moments they shared together, moments he wanted back. He didn't care what this was, he just wanted to have her by his side.

"I promise," he declared quietly and ran his fingertips over her lips, their texture smooth but chapped. "I never wanted anyone as much as I want you." He reached to press his lips to hers again, this time with more force. Her lips tasted of salt from the tears which ran down her cheeks before. He turned her over and pressed her small body to the pillows, their fragile surface sank her in but she didn't care. He slipped the fabric which separated him from her rain covered body and caressed the figure he longed to touch for the past days and nights, watching each move she made, feeling her body's response to his touch. Finally it was a night which they would share together, he would no longer dream. She would be there, not just a fantasy. She wouldn't be frightened, she would feel loved. He inhaled her delicate scent and slowly ran his tongue over her bottom lip, her chest flushed against his. He could almost hear her heart racing at that moment, unable to deny that he never desired someone as strongly as he desired her then and there. Her eyelids shut lazily, never wanting to open again, wishing she could lay with him like that until the end of days.

* * *

The sunrise began the new day, bringing with it warm golden rays which shot through the glass surface of the small window.

"It's so bright," a quiet voice muttered. Mina turned to face the man who laid beside her, only to discover that his eyes were already open, watching her intently, with unmatched admiration. His shoulder sheltered her from the blinding radiance of the sun, casting a shadow over her. He moved closer until they could feel each others calm breathing.

"Is this better _ma Ch__é__rie_?" He asked softly, reaching out to brush a stray hair from her face. She smiled warmly and whispered a "yes."

"I'm not letting you go a second time," he said, moving his palm to take her hand in his, interlacing their fingers. "Don't go Mina, I don't know what Rogers told you that time, but it wasn't true, I swear-"

"I believe you Julien, he was trying to make me hate everyone," she whispered, her eyes layered with regret, "he was trying to make me like him, emotionless."

"You can never be like him, you wasted your time on him."

"He saved me Julien, I had to thank him somehow, it just turned out that way and-"

"It's not worth worrying over _mon Amour_," he hushed her and pushed her closer to his chest, her cheeks flushing at the contact with his bare skin. She pressed her fingertips to his firm torso, feeling the slow beat of his heart, "what matters is what we have now."

"I know Julien, all this time you were there and I dismissed your presence with hatred. I apologize for it all, I had love but did not see it."

"You have not done anything wrong Mina, I would have been with you no matter how much you would have despised me-"

"I never despised you Julien, I couldn't bring myself to. Even if you really were betraying me, I still would've," she took a breath and then looked up into his understanding orbs, reaching out to rub his stubble with care, its texture tickling her fingers, "I still _wanted_ to love you, I thought I loved Rogers but it was all just a façade, it was you that I wanted, that _I loved_, the whole time."

"_Je t'aime __ma Chérie_," he whispered and pressed his warm lips to hers, her skin tingling in response, she became confident around him and tasted his upper lip softly, feeling her body react to him again. He groaned quietly while she moaned into the kiss, his palms running over her whole body as he pressed her harder into the bed. He swore faithfulness to her so long ago, but at that moment, everything seemed as real as ever. And he couldn't help himself any longer. At that second he knew that he would be ready to die for her, and no-one else mattered. Ever again.

* * *

"I apologize Sir, but Mr du Casse is currently not available, he has requested the dismissal of any visitors in the next few hours," the guard replied hastily, his flintlock in hand, at his side, patiently waiting.

"What is this? I demand to see him right this moment, it is an urgent matter!" Rogers shouted furiously. The guard looked at him in fear and embarrassment, but held his head high. He bowed his head after a while.

"With no exceptions Sir, I sincerely apologize." He muttered. Rogers stared at him with pure ferocity but then seemed to spark with an idea. He stepped closer to the guard and began whispering.

"Maybe this will change your mind." He handed the man a small heavy pouch. The guard was just about to take it when suddenly a profound voice broke through the air, the guard jumping slightly and shoving the pouch back into Rogers' hands.

"That will not be necessary!"Julien spoke with new-found vigor, his bare torso clearly visible as he leaned forward in the open window, his hair flowing freely in the soft breeze.

"You son of a bitch! What have you done with Mina?" Rogers shouted while gazing up at the man. He only waved his hands around and smirked at him.

"What's the matter?" A woman's voice could be heard in the distance and then Rogers' eyes widened in shock as he saw Mina lean out the window, a large ivory robe around her body. "Rogers? What are you doing here?" She asked. He gave her a stern look and pointed at her, as if threatening.

"I should be asking _you_ the same God damn question! Now get down here!"

"She's not going anywhere Rogers, your rule over her is _over_." Julien replied instead, his eyebrows furrowing impatiently. His 'friend' would wake the whole of Havana up at this rate.

"How dare you! Who gave you the right to say that?" Rogers shouted back. Julien suddenly grabbed Mina and forced her lips against his own. She grasped onto his shoulder and responded eagerly, for the first time, unafraid. He released her and she smiled, biting her lip.

"This isn't about rights Rogers! She isn't your property and you must understand that she chose me over you, now get over it and run along." He said, longing for her already.

"How can I? I've been the one taking care of her all these years Julien!" Rogers replied, calming down slightly, already knowing he could no longer control her. She looked out and saw Rogers standing there, wanting her back. She sighed, knowing that he was right, in a way.

"I'm sorry, but I no longer want to love a man who doesn't deserve it. I served you long enough Rogers, and I thank you for your hospitality. But, it's time to move on." She said and gave him a sad smile. His eyes seemed surprised at first, but then they wrinkled in pain and his lips turned into an equally miserable smile.

"I understand."

Out of nowhere then, unexpectedly, a deafening shot cracked through the morning breeze. And time, seemed to stop. Completely.

* * *

_Words used: Ma Cherie - My Darling/Dear, Mon Amour - My Love, Je t'aime - I love you_

Things are getting tense! _Edward will be in the next chapter, I promise_ :)

Thank you so much for reading, if you liked this chapter/story please leave a Review/Fave/Follow so you don't miss any upcoming chapters as I try to upload one daily or every two days. :3 I will be very thankful for any feedback. =^^=

Till next time!


	6. VI - Despair and Desperation

Hello!

I was a bit busy in the last few days but finally got Chapter 6 written and edited! Hope you'll like it! :) Thank you for all the reviews and I look forward to more :3

**Disclaimer **\- Everyone, except my OC (and any other OC's later on), belong to Ubisoft.

**Chapter VI in which Mina for the first time experiences regret but receives help from the mysterious Mr Walpole.**

Enjoy!

**\- **_AssassinSuzy :)_

* * *

_'For at my side walks hope. In the face of all that insists I turn back, I carry on.'_

_**VI – Despair and Desperation**_

"Julien!" Mina screamed, the bullet missing her by mere inches as it flew past.

"Mina!" He shouted in response, suddenly throwing himself at her, all in the matter of seconds. Another gunshot was heard, and then another.

The man fell on top of her, shielding her body from the oncoming shots. She cried, holding onto him desperately.

"You will come with us Sir."

"Leave me! Leave me now you fools!"

"Direct order from the Governor, Sir." Voices were heard below, the cacophony of the guards arguments with Rogers disappearing into the distance after what seemed like forever as her and Julien laid on the floor of the bedroom, his heavy form showing no signs of movement.

"Julien, Julien! Help, someone please!" Mina screamed, the man laid on the wooden floor, blood seeping through an open wound in his arm. Suddenly, his body moved ever so slightly. He gritted his teeth in pain, but nonetheless continued holding Mina's hands. "Julien are you okay? Answer me please." She sobbed and caressed his cheek, his head resting on her knees.

"I'm alright, its- its just a scratch," he replied breathlessly.

"What were you thinking?" She asked, tears dropping endlessly, rolling down and bouncing off the man's skin as she cried over him. "Why?"

"I told you that day, remember? I told you that day that I would die for you," he grasped onto her hands, sweat trickling down his forehead. She hastily ripped a piece of her robe off, fixing it tightly around the wound, muttering soft words of comfort as she couldn't catch her breath, panicking. "That day when-"

"Quickly, help him!" A guards voice cut them off as he ran into the room with a few other men. Mina quickly held Julien closer to her, until the shock wore off slightly and she realized they were trying to help him. "We'll get him to a Doctor immediately, Miss."

"Please may I come with you?" She looked up at them through teary eyes, her heart feeling like it was being ripped apart. The Spanish guard gave her an apologetic look and shook his head.

"Pardon me Miss but unfortunately you cannot accompany us. We will give you the address of where you can go to visit Mr du Casse though."

"Please, please do," she hastily replied. The guard motioned to the other ones to pick Julien up, and wrote something down on a piece of scrap paper he found on the desk nearby. He handed the note to her, and she tried to smile in thanks. He nodded and left, leaving behind a terrible silence. She fell to the floor, her knees crashing against the wood in pain, but she didn't feel it. All she felt was regret, regret that she wasn't the one. "It's all my fault, oh God I'm so sorry Julien, forgive me," she cried into her palms, her heart beating fast, her body shaking violently in shock, her mind not being able to comprehend what happened. But at the root of it all, a hatred began to grow in her heart, for the man who saved her years ago. And a thirst for revenge, which she never felt before.

* * *

She laid on the bed, her mind spinning. She crawled under the covers, imagining he was still there, his scent lingering on the covers. She wanted his warmth to envelop her again. She never wanted him more than at that moment, when he wasn't there. Tears soaked the pillows that were once home to their love-making and she felt so lonely, so desperate, so hopeless. She wanted to disappear, to stop existing. To end everything there and then.

"Miss Carmina! Miss Carmina?" She heard a young voice call her name. Considering it to be a hallucination, she continued crying over the nearby calls. "Mina, by Jove, what happened?" The man asked. She felt a sudden weight on the bed, and desired for it to be Julien, thinking it may have all been a dream.

She turned around slowly, only to meet a pair of unknown blue orbs. She wiped her eyes as the man softly spoke her name.

"Duncan?" She whispered in surprise. And then sat up, not being able to look him in the eyes in that state. "Duncan, you don't know how glad I am that someone's here."

"What in the hell happened? Where's Julien?" He asked. She gazed back at him then and a fresh dose of tears fell from her eyes.

"He- He was shot-," she whimpered through tears, the coldness of her skin suddenly replaced by the warmth of two hands, holding her shoulders softly. Compassionately.

"What? By who?"

"Rogers, oh my God!" She cried and suddenly fell forward in despair, unintentionally landing against the softness of Duncan's leather armor. He didn't know what to do, but the sympathy that struck him in the heart told him to comfort her. He held her and leaned forward, embracing her, letting her cry. "Why did he do it?" Her voice escaped, breathless and hoarse from crying.

"I'm-," he pressed his chin against her head and tightened his hold on her, brushing her soft hair, hushing her cries, "I'm here for you, Mina." He felt different, he was never one to console, but this woman made him feel like he was obliged to.

"Thank you, Duncan," she whispered, closing her sore eyes, "I must visit him soon, I have the address here," she continued, handing him a crushed piece of paper which she held so tightly in her grasp before. He took it carefully and nodded, putting it away without giving it a second glance.

"I will gladly accompany you," he said, wondering why he was getting himself involved into these matters. He wanted to believe that it was only to preserve his disguise, but another, hidden, reason circled his mind.

"Really?" she asked, softly pushing herself away from him, her eyes seemed surprised at first, "thank you so much." She bowed her head in thanks but he got off the bed to prevent himself from holding her again. It was almost torture, having to control himself.

"It's nothing really, I can't leave you to go by yourself," he admitted and watched her get up after him, taking her dress from the chair nearby. It's crinkled fabric was still slightly damp from the rain the evening before, but it would have to do.

He reached out to close the window, only to turn and suddenly see her curvy figure, her skin shining in the sun. Her naked body was turned away from him, her eyes inspecting the dress as she unlaced it. He stood there in awe, unable to take his eyes from her. His hands shivered as he desired to touch her, hating himself for knowing it was so wrong but would feel so right. She was about to put the dress on, but the silence, the sudden absence of the wind hitting against her skin and only the loud breathing of the man behind her told her something wasn't right. She turned her eyes to see his sea blue orbs staring at her intently, burning with lust. They stood there for a moment in silence until she stepped into the fabric, pulling it up until it covered her.

"Did that satisfy you Duncan?"

"What?" He suddenly broke eye contact and looked away, grunting in realization of his actions.

"I'm sorry, were you hoping for something else?" She scoffed and approached him, suddenly her hand was inches from his cheek, but his palm held her wrist, preventing her from fulfilling what she wanted to do. "Let me go you bastard!"

"Who do you take me for eh'? You were the one who so shamelessly showed yourself to me." He let her wrist go, her skin burning, imprinted with his touch. "How can you say you care for another man when you're attempting to bewitch me?"

"How dare you?" She asked, turning away, "you know nothing about me!" She walked away from him, fidgeting with the back of the dress, struggling to lace it up.

He closed his eyes and almost laughed at his own idiocy, knowing he shouldn't have said that.

"I apologize," he whispered. Her eyes caught his then for a few seconds before turning away again. He wanted to look into those eyes for a little longer, to linger in them. He slowly stepped closer and took the lace from her hands, tying it slowly. She interlaced her hands together, feeling worse than she did before. Everything was wrong, she could have stayed with Rogers, as long as it saved Julien. She could have listened to him. Her heart ached with longing, her eyes closing, her lips reciting a silent prayer. "Julien told me about you, he spoke with much admiration, I didn't understand most of it as it was in French though." She smiled sadly at that, missing his sweet words and his passionate French accent which gave her shivers every time. "It was wrong of me to judge you," Duncan muttered.

"What did he say?" She wiped her tears and took in a breath as he pulled the lace tighter.

"I don't want to upset you now that he is, in the state he is."

"Please, tell me, I cannot be more hurt than I already am Duncan."

"He said he planned on taking you back to France when he would have the chance."

Her heart stopped and skipped a few beats, another tear rolling through her eyelid. She gazed to stare outside the window, the sun seeming to slowly hide behind the clouds. What were Julien's plans? He shared with her his past but never revealed the future. Was he planning on marrying her? He heart beat sped up at the sweet thought, wishing it was true. _Hoping _it was true.

"I would have said yes, I would have Duncan," she whispered. He let the lace go and enclosed her shoulders in his palms, her skin ever so soft under his heat. "I feel so lost, I'm scared, I-"

"Everything is going to be fine Carmina, he's going to recover, you know that right?" The man's soothing voice resounded through the room as she turned to face him, her eyes avoiding his, they held the comfort she needed, but didn't want him to see her in such a weak state. "He is strong, he wouldn't leave you, not now."

"I don't know what to believe any more after what Rogers did to us," she sighed. He didn't want to embrace her, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from consoling her in his own way. He reached out to touch her but stopped himself, grasping the air instead. She noticed this and dropped her head in shame, by now knowing what effect she had on men. She ruined Rogers and now she would ruin a complete stranger.

"I'm sorry, I know what you want Duncan, they all want it," she spoke bitterly but then gazed up to smile at him. His eyes focused on her, his lips tugged at the corners into a compassionate smile.

"I'm not trying to convey that idea Mina, I never intended to, I just," he took in a breath, "I don't know how to console you, you see, I'm not very good at it."

"I understand and admire your honesty. You're different from Rogers," she replied and suddenly took his hand. "I would be thankful if you could hold me, I need that the most now." She pressed her palm to his other hand, "I don't mean to suggest that I want you in any way Duncan, I just can't stand the silence," she explained. He nodded and pushed her into his chest, her hands grasping onto the leather, he rested his forehead against hers and listened to her quiet, broken breathing. "I just want him back, I'm sorry Duncan, this is all my fault."

"It's not Mina, of course it's not. I'm here with you, we will visit Julien later okay?" He hushed her as she nodded, crying silently. He whispered 'it's okay' over and over again, but she kept on weeping. There was nothing he could do but wait, wait until the hell she was going through was over, unable to deny that all this time he wanted her for himself, guilt overcoming his conscience.

* * *

"Governor Torres?" Duncan asked as they approached the Mansion, surprised that Julien would be cared for by the Governor himself.

"Good Day to you Mr Walpole, Carmina," the elderly man replied and invited them inside. The corridors were lavishly furnished and decorated with ornate paintings, porcelain shining as it stood in the wooden cabinets as they walked by.

"How is he doing Governor?" Carmina asked quickly, desperately. He looked over at her and smiled for a second before guiding them upstairs.

"He is still asleep, the Doctor managed to remove the bullet and take care of the wound appropriately, I am just sorry that it came to this, I never expected Mr Rogers to act so brashly, aiming a bullet at his fellow Templar brother, outrageous indeed."

"Will Rogers be punished, if I may ask?" Duncan asked as Mina thought over what the Governor said, a heavy weight lifted from her heart at the absence of any tragic news.

"We are considering appropriate punishment, however he was scheduled to sail for England to become Governor of the Bahamas, so we cannot forbid him from doing so," he replied in his Spanish accent. The smell of flowers hung heavily in the air as they were directed to a white door. Mina's breath caught for a second as the Governor opened it and an ivory colored room came into view, the glass doors leading to a beautiful balcony were opened, letting in the warm Summer breeze. In the middle stood a large wooden bed with a decorated headboard, it's covers had a silky shine and the golden pattern reflected the light of the sun outside. The room was spacious and decorated with paintings like the corridors throughout the mansion.

Mina couldn't help but run in, immediately sitting on the side of the bed, gazing down sadly at the man who slept soundly under the covers. She struggled to prevent herself from crying and took hold of his hand, whispering.

"I'm here now, can you hear me Julien, I'm here my love," she moved a little closer and pressed a loving peck to his forehead. His hair was ruffled as always, his arm tied in a large worn out bandage. She caressed his cheek with her lips, unable to contain herself. His eyes were closed ever so peacefully and his chest moved slowly with every quiet breath he took.

"We should leave her for now," Duncan muttered as he and the Governor stood in the doorway, feeling like they were interrupting something which wasn't there.

"Call on us if you require anything," the Governor called out and shut the door.

"She was in a terrible state before," Duncan admitted as they approached the staircase.

"Thank you for your help Duncan, you must have not expected such events when you arrived in Havana."

"No, but I feel I have gained more now that I met that woman."

"Rogers had been very possessive of her since he first found her on the streets, she was a young girl then, brought up in a Brothel for reasons which I am not aware of. She has her secrets, but she is good at heart. It was a waste to see such a young woman unmarried and manipulated by a man such as Rogers," Torres explained quietly, "he had the power and the ability to wed her, however for some reason refused to."

"How did she come to, _admire_, Julien so much?"

"I do not know, Julien never spoke of his relationship with her. Rogers never once mentioned it either. You might want to find it out yourself when you have time," the man finished. But Duncan didn't have any time to waste, he wanted answers, and he wanted them as soon as possible. A short excursion to Rogers' Manor would not hurt, would it?

* * *

Thank you so much for reading, if you liked this chapter/story please leave a Review/Fave/Follow so you don't miss any upcoming chapters :3 I will be very thankful for any feedback. =^^=

Till next time!


	7. VII - The White Rose

Hello,

Done and dusted! Chapter 7 is here! Thank you for all the reviews and I look forward to more coming soon :3

**Disclaimer **\- Everyone, except my OC (and any other OC's later on), belong to Ubisoft.

**Chapter VII in which Edward sets out on a mission to find out more about Mina and her shrouded past.**

Hope you will enjoy it :)

_\- AssassinSuzy ^^_

* * *

_'He knows how to exercise his will. A rare virtue in the world today.'_

_**VII – The White Rose**_

A loud knock resounded through the hallways, empty spaces echoing with the trembling of the wood against the worn out knuckles. Rogers stirred, his eyes fixed on the wall, in his hand a cloth polishing the pistol which he held in his other palm. He hesitantly put the weapon down, its previous actions sealed in the bullets. He approached the door slowly and took hold of the handle. Another, louder, knock shouted through the doors. He turned the handle and opened it, taking a deep breath and putting on a poker face. Expecting a horde of guards awaiting him, ready to lock him up.

"Mr Rogers?"

He stared at the man in front of him, slightly taken aback. He smiled then, a large weight falling from his heart, thinking he finally had someone he could confide in about the terrible situation.

"Duncan!" He greeted warmly and let the man in, unaware of Duncan's earlier involvement in the events. He led him into the small sitting room where he motioned for him to have a seat in the opposite armchair. Duncan's eyes immediately caught the sight of the pistol on the table, confirming everything Mina said before. There was no denying that Rogers was the perpetrator. Another man, however, would not be able to even suggest such an accusation. Rogers' façade was masterful and he didn't even show a trace of any remorse. Duncan didn't hinder from fulfilling his mission, he would do anything to find out the truth about Mina, and at that moment he didn't even care why he wanted to in the first place. He sat down as directed and saw Rogers pour him some whiskey. The man handed him the glass and Duncan took it, rather eagerly, desperate for a drink.

"So tell me, my friend, what brings you here today?" Rogers asked, overly politely. Obviously trying to hide something which Duncan already knew.

"I just desired some friendly company, that's all," he replied casually.

"You can get plenty of company with the dancers around Havana if you wish," Rogers said, falling into the trap, dancers were the typical type of girls you saw around the streets of every large town. It was their hallmark name, although everyone knew they lived at the brothels and often visited taverns as well.

"Oh really, do tell, would you be able to recommend me one?"

"The 'White Rose' sports some very pretty ladies," he muttered but then clarified, as to not build any suspicion, "I of course, no longer require their services."

"Of course, considering you have a Mistress," Duncan replied, as if everything was just as it was when he met the man. Rogers nodded in silent agreement, but seemed as if he was caught off guard.

"About that, have you heard anything being said, about Carmina?"

"Not really, why?"

"I should not disclose details of what has been, however I fully entrust you with some of my secrets due to your excellent trustworthiness Duncan. Would I be right in doing so?"

"Yes of course, I have no one to tell either way," he said and grinned, pretending.

"Well, I am afraid Mina may have been unfaithful to me as a Mistress lately," he looked over to the window, his eyebrows furrowing in anger and faked sadness.

"How do you know?" Duncan asked, satisfied that Rogers was so easy to deceive, sharing information with a stranger. Furthermore, a supposed turn coat Assassin. "With who?"

"It may have been Julien, I have seen them together this morning."

"That is outright awful!" Duncan raised his voice, perfectly acting out his surprise.

"I know, I know. I too was very shocked myself. However I have seen this coming, past mistakes have consequences sooner or later..."

"What do you mean?" Duncan asked, Rogers then looked over at him, and proceeded to chuck down a whole glass of whiskey.

"I was the one who brought them together, you see."

* * *

_'I was the one who brought them together you see.'_

The words loudly pierced Duncan's mind, and everything seemed clear. The fog that once shrouded the mystery of Julien's and Mina's relationship lifted and Duncan stared into space, considering everything carefully and trying to gather the puzzle pieces. He still needed more though.

"Duncan? Duncan?" Rogers' voice broke through him and he grasped onto the glass, lifting it up from the table and sipping at it.

"I don't fully understand, _my friend_," Duncan murmured and put the glass down carefully.

"Mina was once obsessive about me, Duncan, she loved me however I knew I would never satisfy her emotional needs. Such things were not in my power, even if I wished them to be," he explained almost bitterly, "I thought that if I attempted to direct her feelings at a more appropriate candidate, she might let go and become independent." Rogers got up and walked over to pour himself more liquor, sighing as he did.

"What then?" Duncan asked.

"You must understand, Julien was lonely and desired, if not desperately, for emotions. Just like her. With pressure from his family to marry despite a young age, he took solace in Mina and enjoyed her company. They were in my eyes a perfect match, at first." He sat back down and took another gulp of the burning liquid. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, remembering, before he continued.

"Mina really seemed like she was drifting from me, I knew she admired me still and was slightly infatuated, yet I saw burning love for Julien whenever she spoke of him so fondly. With so much love. Love which I thought was once mine. And it was gone, just like that."

"You got what you wanted though-"

"I may have Duncan, but shortly afterwards I no longer felt satisfied with it. I felt incredibly jealous, she spent days, nights on end with that wretched man. I regretted what I did, still unable to love her, but missing her attention and her devotion to me," he spoke with such diplomatic vigour, such misery, but nevertheless kept any deeper emotions hidden away.

"So you wanted her after all?"

"Yes, I must have, for I never felt such desire, for any woman. Not even for my wife. So, after weeks and months of such torture," he exaggerated, "I lied to her."

"What?" Duncan lifted an eyebrow, but Rogers just turned his eyes to stare into the glass, which was now empty.

"I simply told her that I saw Julien sleeping with three other women at the same time. She was hesitant at first, but then I paid three dancers, whom she knew quite well, to tell her the 'truth,' one of them was her good friend Annie, so of course she had no choice but to believe them," he continued, as if to show off how his excellent plan worked without fail, not even paying attention to what he had done to the poor girl. "You should have seen her Duncan, the argument she had with the man she thought she loved! It was spectacular, she was so naïve she broke off all contact with him, and swore to never see him again."

"What happened then?"

"She simply came back to me, eager to devote herself to me again, so grateful to me for telling her of Julien's actions. The man never even guessed it was me who started it."

"How long ago was this?" Duncan asked, struggling to hide his disgust. Rogers seemed pleased with himself, prancing around as if he was a hero, all along doing everything for his own benefit.

"About a year ago or two I suppose, she was 17. He was fairly young, only 31," he began counting in his head, "yes, it was Summer, 1713."

"I-I see," Duncan simply replied, "so you suspect she might have went back to him?"

"I know she did! I met with Julien later on to discuss the matter," he lied this time, "he admitted to everything and we made an agreement in order to settle the matter as gentlemen."

"And what was the agreement, if I may ask?"

"He will leave for France as soon as possible, I have already arranged a voyage, and in return I will continue to take care of Mina without handing her over to the authorities for her actions, as if nothing, _ever_, happened. He has promised to never return, of course."

Duncan opened his mouth slightly, jaw dropping, his eyes startled and flaming with anger. With rage.

"Look at the time! I shall disturb you no longer Rogers, I have taken enough of your precious time. Thank you for the pleasant discussion," he gritted through clenched teeth, putting on a smile, one which did not hide his disgust at the bastards actions.

"Indeed Duncan, I thank you as well, you have helped me greatly my friend." The man replied, oblivious. He led Duncan to the doors and opened them for him, leading him out and waving a warm goodbye, the other man swiftly turned to leave, without giving Rogers a second glance. It was time to visit the 'White Rose.'

* * *

Duncan sat in the soft leather seat, looking around cautiously. The walls had tapestries upon them, flower vases decorating every corner while a rusting chandelier hung from the carved ceiling. Dancers carefully glided across floorboards, tiptoeing from one room to the next, some of them laid on the love seats, attending to their customers while others awaited eager eyes. He sighed and buried himself further in the seat, patience was not one of his virtues.

"Sir?" A small woman with a tightly wrapped scarf around her waist and a bun on her head approached him, "what do you require today?"

"Have you got a certain _Annie _here?" He casually replied, waving his hand in the air. The girl looked at him, confused, for a second before giving him a slight glare.

"Are you sure you want to see Annabel, Sir?"

"Yes why not? Is she here or not?"

"I will call for her immediately Sir," the girl shook her head and smiled apologetically, walking away. After a few minutes of waiting, a much older, larger woman entered the reception room. Her lips were extremely red and her face covered in a ton of powder, the color of her make up not even matching the rough skin on her revealed arms. She wore a tight corset, and her eyebrows furrowed when she saw the man, a short red fringe covered half of her face, the rest of her hair falling in tight curls, reaching her shoulders.

"What business do you 'ave with me?"

"Annie?" He asked, looking her up and down, stifling a laugh.

"Annabel to you young man! Now, what is it, I don't usually get called on by customers, certainly not by men of your age," she had a deeper voice than the other women, and gazed upon her nails as she talked, scratching at the thick red varnish that was on them.

"I'm Edward Kenway, and I require not so much company as I do information," he introduced himself, using his real name for the first time since arriving in Havana.

"Eddy, I ain't a spy, love. I'm the owner of this place-."

"I know, I figured that much-."

"I beg you pardon?" She spit out in anger, but he hastily dug out a small pouch of coin. He showed it to her, her eyebrows suddenly raising at the sight.

"Follow me, darlin'," she motioned for him and swiftly led him into a small reading room. She sat by the tiny wooden desk, shifting through some papers before snatching the pouch out of his hand greedily. "What do you wanna' know?"

"Have you ever had a customer by the name of Woodes Rogers?"

"Might ave,' what's it to you? I can't reveal customer info, sorry bout' that," she lit up a half-burned out pipe, inhaling the smoke before breathing it out through her nostrils, flaring like a dragon. He led her eyes to the money which rested on the table and she sighed heavily.

"You recognise the name," he muttered. She nodded and knocked the ashes that built up in the pipe with her fingers.

"Who doesn't, he's the God-damned Governor's right hand man. Aye, I remember him, came ere' twice," she explained and breathed in the smoke, her eyes almost rolling in satisfaction. "First time was back in 1710 and then again in 1713," she said.

"In 1710?" Edward asked sceptically, the woman gave him a sharp look before resuming her tale, still holding the burning tobacco in her hand.

"Aye, in 1710. He wanted to buy one of my girls. I wasn't that eager at first but he was ready to give a hefty sum up for her, so I agreed, we didn't like her all that much anyway, she was a pain in the arse," she muttered under her breath in annoyance. Edward looked up at her, his eyes almost pleading for more. She scoffed and reached out to pull more tobacco from the drawer, filling her pipe until it spilled over. She lit it in a hurry and put it to her lips again. He sighed and retrieved another leather pouch of Spanish gold. Her eyes seemed to gleam in the little light that came from the open window.

"This time, tell me the rest will ya'?" He said before handing her the money.

"You're a pirate right?" She suddenly muttered before staring into his eyes. He turned away in slight surprise but guessed that her senses were sharp after meeting so many different men in her lifetime. "You're the easiest to figure out, you Pirates, but considering the nice coins you're offering, I'll let you in on what you want."

"The girl you talked about, who was she?"

"An annoying brat!" Annie shouted, "had to care for her the whole God-damned time. Her daddy paid me more than she's worth, some young guy that was. Never saw a more handsome face. Well, I was obliged so I took the kid in. She was alright at first, didn't talk much for the longest time. When she was a young girl, 13 or 14, she looked like a darn woman I say. You would've thought she's 16 at least with her looks. Small but deadly. Like a snake," she puffed out a huge cloud of smoke and scoffed again.

"All the men crowded round her, slept around more than any other girls, brought the coins in but there was _no one_ left for us. So the girls got angry. Heard she was beat up once. Don't know much bout' that. I ain't meddling in their affairs. One way or another, somehow that bastard Rogers came in. He was notorious enough with us locals, but he was ready to pay whatever I wanted for the brat. So I gave her away," she finished, putting the pipe down and reaching for the ornate glass and the bottle of rum which stood on the edge of the desk. She motioned to Edward but he declined, eager to know more. Intrigued by the innocent woman he met some days ago. Knowing it was Mina that 'Annie' was talking about all along, his heart tightened with new found sympathy.

"What happened in 13'?"

"The man paraded through my brothel, demanding to see me and two other girls. He wanted to pay us for tellin' her we slept with her darling lover. Some _Julien_ I've never heard about before. She always thought we were her friends, bless er', and believed us right away when we told her how he came over for a little show. She was an easy one to fool, feel a tardy bit sorry for er' though, that Rogers guy ain't nothin' but trouble for all of us."

"Thank you Annabel, is there anything else you can tell me?"

"Nah,' honestly told ya' everythin' I know, hun'," she smiled sheepishly and waved her palm, shooing him. He bowed his head again in thanks, but she just sent him away, not even caring about his show of politeness. Upon exiting the brothel, he felt satisfied, not with the company he received though, but the with truth he now knew. He finally understood the woman that seemed so far away at first, but when he stood there like that in the streets, she felt closer to him than ever.

* * *

Hope that answered some major questions (and brought more up!) :D What do you think of Rogers? Was he right or wrong in what he did?

Thank you so much for reading, if you liked this chapter/story please leave a Review/Fave/Follow so you don't miss any upcoming chapters :3 I will be very thankful for any feedback. =^^=

Till next time!


	8. VIII - Die for You

Hello!

Another chapter :D Thank you for all the reviews and I look forward to more :3

**Disclaimer **\- Everyone, except my OC (and any other OC's later on), belong to Ubisoft.

**Chapter VIII in which Mina confronts Edward, however things take a very _forbidden_ turn instead.**

Hope you like this one :)

_\- AssassinSuzy ^^_

* * *

_"While I thought that I was learning how to live, I have been learning how to die."_

_**VIII - Die for You**_

Meanwhile, Mina laid next to Julien's functional arm, staring up at the ceiling. His slow and quiet breathing kept her sane for the time being as he continued sleeping. The sun was slightly lower in the sky, and Mina lifted herself from the covers, stretching and yawning. She never felt so lethargic, however had no idea when her dearest would wake up. She slowly approached the glass doors, her skin encased in the warm and pleasant breeze as she stepped out on to the balcony, her hands grasping at the stone banister, its surface carved with several Hispanic patterns. She lifted her face up to the sun, inhaling the delicate scent of the flowers from the gardens below, a symphony of aromas travelling with the wind. There was nothing more beautiful than the slowly setting sun in Havana, but this time, she had no one to watch it with. Memories sank in, moments she once wanted to forget, but now treasured more than anything else she was in possession of. She gazed back into the well-lit room and her eyes suddenly caught the stare of the man she never wanted to let go in the first place.

He stared at her form, her dress melting into her shape, the sunshine outside perfectly framing her face, her blond locks flowing with the breeze. For a moment, he gazed at her in pure wonder, fooling himself that he departed this world and ended up in what seemed to be heaven. But why was she here? In heaven?

"Julien!" She cried and ran up to him, carefully avoiding his wounded arm. She climbed on top of the bed from the other side, her back stretched as she knelt beside him. He reached his palm out to feel the fabric of her dress, wondering if heaven felt like her, soft and wonderfully kind. Warm. Loving.

"Am I in heaven, Mademoiselle?" He said, ever so softly, his eyes melting as he admired her gleaming ones. She took his palm in her hands, lifting it up and pressing her puffy and familiar lips to his fingertips, smiling as she did.

"No, Julien, this is reality, you haven't left me. You're okay. Everything is going to be okay," she whispered, unable to let her words out.

"I would die for you any day, Mina," he purred. She leaned forward as his fingers delicately held onto her chin, bringing her closer. "As long as you would be safe."

She closed the distance between them and pressed her longing lips to his, playing with his bottom lip as her tongue ran over it. It's lavish texture reminded her of everything they did, but he never tasted as good as he did at that very moment, a blend of cinnamon and orange. He might have not eaten such wonders, but he tasted like them all the same. She ravished it as his mouth enclosed around hers with hot passion, his tongue embracing hers to the point of no return, he tasted strawberries and berries of all sort, and could smell the essence of the Caribbean flowers which seemed to rub off on her so easily.

"Julien," she moaned in between breaths, rubbing her palm against his well toned chest, feeling that familiar sensation build in her stomach, overtaking her senses. He had his whole arm around her body, pressing her into him, wanting to feel her weight against his being.

"Mina, Mina I never want to let you go but-."

"Don't leave me then, I will spend every one of my nights with you, every one of my days, all eternity if you wish. Just say the word, and I shall be yours," she whispered into his ear, breathing onto his skin, and he never wanted anything more than for her to say that.

"You were mine all along, and always will be, no matter where we will be or who with. We will always love each other, because this was meant to be Mina," he took a breath and rid her of the dress, the covers sheltering her from the breeze. He took to her neck with his craving lips, never wanting anything else, just her.

* * *

"Julien," Edward greeted as he entered the room, it was morning and Mina was downstairs, preparing breakfast for Julien. Edward saw this as yet another opportunity to question the man about the recent information he had gained from delving into Mina's past.

"Duncan? It's pleasant to see you here, thank you for taking care of Mina yesterday," he replied with a sad smile, "I don't know what she would've done if you weren't there."

"It was all I could do for a friend Julien. Your wound is healing fast," Edward sat in the wooden chair nearby, resting his chin on his clenched fist.

"Yes, I have noticed, I should be thankful that yesterday was not my last," he muttered. The man was incredibly quiet compared to his usual self.

"I heard Mina didn't leave you in peace for the night," Edward smirked, grinning and trying to lighten the atmosphere up a little. The man looked up at him and nodded, smiling again, this time with more energy.

"Yes, she's not one to allow any sleep, at least not when it's me," he laughed and remembered the night they shared again, his eyes closing and the corner of his lips tugging into a satisfied smile. Her body is one which cannot ever be forgotten when embraced.

"Did you see Governor Rogers by any chance, afterwards?" Edward suddenly asked, Julien quickly turned to catch his gaze and sighed heavily.

"How the hell did you know?"

"I paid him a little visit yesterday afternoon. He told me all sorts. Would I be correct in thinking it's all true, or was he lying?"

"I awakened about an hour after the doctor left and the bastard Rogers was already waiting for me, with his wicked dandy eyes," he motioned to his own orbs with his fingers, mocking the man everyone seemed to secretly hate. "We did make an agreement, Duncan, but it was all for Mina's sake. I don't want her getting hurt, and I don't want her on the streets again. It was a compromise, and I am ready to sacrifice my residence here for her safety."

"Sacrifice your residence?"

"I must leave for France this week," he said and sighed, "that was Rogers' only offer, he said he would've sent Mina away for treason or some nonsense like that."

"You could have declined, I would have taken her in," Edward replied before even considering his own words. "_If _she wanted to, I mean."

"Thank you Duncan, but its too late now," the man replied sadly, "please, do one thing for me, don't tell her about this. I will tell her when the time comes. She may not agree with my decision, but in the end its for her own good. I love her too much to bear seeing her punished because of me."

"I won't," Edward nodded, already feeling guilty. He felt that she had a right to know, Julien was giving up too easily. There had to be another way.

"Tell me what?" A light-hearted voice broke through as she approached them with a platter of food. Mina felt alive again, like nothing controlled her any longer.

"Nothing," Julien whispered and smiled, his hand reaching out to caress her palm as she put the platter down and handed him a plate. She gave him a playful glare before sitting by his side.

"Tell me, something is wrong," she muttered after a while. Edward watched them as Julien avoided her eyes. "Julien, what's going on?"

"I was just telling Duncan how you broke my nose that one time," he lied, biting down on his lip in guilt and anger at having to hide secrets from her. Her expression suddenly changed, and she smiled widely, almost bursting out in laughter.

"That was _your _fault!" She said, biting into a piece of bread. He joined in the laughter, while Edward awkwardly on-looked their interaction, his heart tightening with some sort of desire. He missed Caroline. And not for the first time.

* * *

"Dorothea?" She whispered as she took a seat next to the small woman. The stone steps were cold and rough, the sea bringing a sharp gust of air their way.

"Carmina, I'm glad you could make it," the woman shook her cloth hood off, her pretty and young face coming into view, her chestnut hair much longer than it was so many years ago. Her pale blue eyes stared into Mina's worriedly, her lips opening to let out a sigh.

"What is the matter, I haven't seen you for so long," Mina took hold of the girl's hand and squeezed it affectionately, she was her only friend at the White Rose, before Mina's departure to live with Rogers.

"A man came in yesterday, to see Annabel. She said he was a pirate, a handsome one I say, but he was asking about you!"

"What? A pirate? How would he know me, I never left Havana-," Mina blurted out nervously, fear gripping at her as her eyes looked away in confusion. The woman nodded her head, her fringe framing her oval face.

"He went by the name Edward. Was the rough sort, in an officer's jacket. It was white and navy blue," she explained quickly. Mina gasped, the name didn't match for sure, but the description of his garments certainly did. It couldn't have been him could it?

"What were his eyes like, his hair? Did he have little scars on his cheek?"

"Yes, yes he did, his eyes were navy, like the sea in a storm, and his hair was a dirty blond, messy," she continued. Mina shook her head and furrowed her eyebrows in shock, pressing her palm against her forehead in astonishment. "Are you okay Mina? You look slightly pale."

"I'm fine, everything is fine, you take care of yourself. I need to go now," she said suddenly, getting up hastily, "thank you my friend! Take care!"

"You too Mina, you too. Goodbye!" The woman smiled sadly as Mina walked away quickly, passing through the crowds, not even looking where she was going. She suddenly felt someone clashing into her, only to look up and find herself staring into those betraying navy eyes.

"You!" She shouted, scaring the man who was about to apologize for the collision. He gave her an utterly confused look before she pointed at him and glared into his eyes, "Edward!"

His eyebrows shot up in surprise and he suddenly grabbed her, pulling her with him as he speed walked towards an alleyway. He had her pushed against the wooden structure of the wall as they entered the dark path between two houses.

"Don't say a word to anyone, or else..."

"Or else what? You're gonna' invade more of my personal space? Use me? What are you going to do Mr Pirate!?"

"Don't provoke me woman! You don't want to know and I don't want to threaten you any way, you asked for it-."

"Me? _You_ were the one who's been going round and digging into my past, you know how hard I've worked to let go of that _me_, the _me_, from my past? You wouldn't understand would you, why am I even telling you this anyway?"

"Shut it!" He pressed his palm against her lips, muffling her squeals of protest. They turned their eyes to the guards that walked past, and she immediately stopped. "You can't be any louder can you? Control yourself for God's sakes..."

"You're unbelievable," she muttered as he let her speak, the sensation of her soft lips and her warm breath imprinted on his palm. She was about to turn away but he suddenly took hold of her, his grip on her arm tightening, still careful not to crush her with his strength. She avoided his gaze, but let out a loud sigh. "What do you want?"

"Aren't you gonna' question me?"

"Why would I? You walked into my life and meddled in my past, there is nothing left to say. I just wish I knew your real name when you did all of that. Maybe I would have told you my side of the story, if you had the guts to _ask_." She growled, she was warm, and Edward couldn't help but feel conscience-stricken at his actions. He wasn't used to just asking. He had his way of doing things. But this time his ways have seemed to fail him. "Idiot," she muttered quietly, her body moving in time with her slow breaths. He smiled, no woman seemed to have the courage to stand up to him before, Mina was so much different. He liked it, and wasn't able to comply with his personal oath to keep his hands off Rogers', or now Julien's, lover. He had to hold out for a little while though, before he took off to search for the Observatory, on his own, just like he planned to. Just a while longer.

"I apologize," he whispered. She glanced up, his eyes looking away but his nose nearly touching the tip of hers, "I didn't mean to bring up your past, I was just curious about you, and all it brought to me was compassion," he assured her of his innocence.

"I don't need your sympathy, Edward, I can-," she wanted to clarify, but without warning, he cut her off. The soft surface of his lips encased her bitter-sweet lower lip tenderly, savoring the zest left behind by the berries she must have tasted on her way to the harbor. Nothing seemed to matter any more, everything around them silenced, the chatter of the passers-by, the howling summer gust which got lost in the air as it hit the wooden houses, even the crunching of the dirt beneath their feet. She tied her fingers in his messed up blond hair, completely losing sense of what was happening while he pressed himself into her, his lips opening wide as he deepened the kiss, her own unable to catch up. She in turn relished the traces of rum, a sailor's liquor, on his tongue, never before enjoying a kiss as much as she did at that moment. It never made her heart tighten in breathless ecstasy like it did in those seconds, which felt like hours. All they heard was their own heavy breathing as he inhaled her sultry scent, mixed with the toxic aroma of wild-flowers. No one paid enough attention to notice their forms desperately pressed against each other in a fit of lust. He ran his hand over her thigh, feeling the shape fill his hands, even if hidden by the cotton fabric of the patterned dress she wore. He groaned quietly as her luscious palms explored his neck, sliding down his Adam's-apple until they reached his collarbone. The incredible warmth of his skin burned her, but she couldn't think. Nothing seemed to be able to pass through her mind when all that registered was the feeling of his wet lips fighting against hers.

"Edward- No Edward-," she moaned as his lips trailed down her jaw and caught the heavenly soft skin on her neck, nibbling on the texture and then kissing it hard, his mouth moving against her flushed neck as he moved along to her collarbone. She sighed heavily out of content but then caught him by his jacket and pushed him up with the strength she had, their lips rejoining against before finally breaking apart slowly, until only their surfaces brushed against each other tenderly, still aching for more.

She opened her eyes to see his orbs, the navy in them moving like the sea during a storm, eyebrows furrowed in pleasure. Her lips felt sore, acknowledging that he tugged on them as he kissed her. She still held onto the collar of his jacket, as if it was her lifeline.

"Edward, why?" She whispered.

"You don't tell anyone about me, and I won't tell anyone about what happened between us," he smirked, having it all planned out.

"What have I done?" She blurted out and pressed her palm to her gasping mouth, realization hitting her hard. "Julien is waiting for me, but I'm stuck in an alleyway, my lips in possession of a man I barely know."

"We all do it sometimes," he smiled, but she looked upset.

"What am I going to do, I can't face him knowing that I've been with you, what have I done?" She panicked, but he took hold of her arms, shaking her softly.

"Mina, Mina look me in the eyes," he commanded, his voice quiet and inviting. She did as she was told and averted her gaze towards his, he smiled though, the storm in his eyes calmed down, replaced with a slight glow. "We're even now."

* * *

:o What has Mina done?!

Thank you so much for reading, if you liked this chapter/story please leave a Review/Fave/Follow so you don't miss any upcoming chapters :3 I will be very thankful for any feedback. =^^=

Till next time!


	9. IX - An Arrangement

Hello,

Another chapter, this one is a bit shorter but hopefully you will like it :D Thank you for all the reviews and I look forward to more :3

****Disclaimer **\- **Everyone, except my OC (and any other OC's later on), belong to Ubisoft.

**Chapter IX in which Dorothea takes Mina for a day out, only to leave her with Edward...**

_\- AssassinSuzy ^^_

* * *

__'...but fight to continue the search for truth, so that all may benefit.'__

_**IX - An **_**_Arrangement_**

_'We're even now.'_ The words repeated themselves in her mind, over and over. She struggled to treat them as an excuse for her actions. Edward left her after he said those words, however still shouting her from beyond the crowds, "find me in Nassau."

Was that some sort of honorary invitation to the notorious Republic of Pirates?

"There you are!" Dorothea's soprano voice greeted her again as she locked their arms, surprising Mina.

"I thought you went home though," she countered, too distraught and confused, unable to gather her thoughts. The woman smiled at her pleadingly and her eyes shone with worry.

"You didn't look very well when you left, so I went looking for you."

"I appreciate it, I really do, but right now everything is spinning in my head and I feel hopeless. I wish I could tell you why, but I don't know the reason myself," Mina muttered as they walked along the dirt path. The sun was at its highest point in the sky, and the breeze settled down, the air completely still.

"What you need my friend, is a drink," Dorothea announced, smiling.

"Since when do you drink?" Mina asked but the woman hushed her.

"It's not something we did often, but it clears your head, kind of."

"Alright then, but I need to get home by midnight."

"That can be arranged!"

Mina giggled along as they engaged in a conversation, like in the old days, and she never felt so normal, so worry free.

* * *

After spending the day walking around Havana, watching Dorothea flirt with the Spanish guards, and visiting the local taverns, the evening seemed to be settling in. The dark sky slowly blended with the setting orange globe of light. They sat down at a small outside table, both enjoying a small bottle of rum.

"So Rogers ended up being a complete bastard?" The lean woman asked as Mina sipped on the semi-sweet alcohol, suddenly reminded of Edward. His husky scent and the addictive taste of liquor on his lips. She could feel heat rising to her cheeks, and the guilt that came with the satisfaction was somewhat heartbreaking. So she didn't reply, afraid of stuttering and sounding as distraught as she was. Her head just nodded and her eyes looked around. She nearly choked on the liquid as her eyes glazed over the familiar figure.

"Not him again," she whispered to herself, she should have felt rotten and annoyed, having to see him again, coincidentally bumping into him despite their previous unspoken good-bye. But she didn't. She denied it, but knew she felt glad, for some unknown reason. Unconsciously, she stared at the man until his eyes averted to catch her gaze. They widened for the fraction of a second before he smirked and pursed his lips, his teeth biting down on his bottom lip, teasing her. She mimicked his actions until realizing what she was doing again, letting her aching lip go, wishing for another second for his own to be on hers again.

"Who are you looking at so intently Mina?" The woman snapped her fingers in front of her friend's eyes, shutting his form out, waking her from the fantasy.

"I- No! No one, who would I be looking at?" Mina quickly replied, laughing awkwardly. Dorothea looked behind her shoulder and noticed Edward, who was still watching his newest target, a sly smile plastered onto his lips.

"He's still looking at you Mina, wait-," she suddenly gasped and stood up, nearly flipping the chair over. "That's him!" She shouted, "him, as in _him_!" Mina jumped up and grabbed the woman, motioning for her to hold her tongue.

"Yes it might be, so?" Mina countered casually, stepping behind Dorothea and pushing her forwards softly, "I think we should go."

"No way! I have to meet him-."

"Is there a problem ladies?" The tall pirate approached them, smiling coolly, a short and heavy man behind him. Mina gave Edward a glare and then turned her eyes, pouting like a child. He grinned and suddenly took her hand, pressing his lips to her knuckles, just like when they met. He then looked over at the flushed Dorothea, his palm still not letting Mina's hand go free, holding onto it tenderly. His fingers were rough, calloused, but warm and inviting. She tried to stop herself, but instead her fingers bent around in-between his, intertwining their palms, to his own surprise. Her grip was slender and its tightness invigorating. He wanted the rest of her. And it was torture to know he couldn't have what he wanted. For the first time.

"You're the man who came to the White Rose," Dorothea proclaimed, everyone gazing over at her. Edward flashed his charming grin and bowed his head.

"I'm Edward Kenway," he introduced himself politely, a ladies man, while the small man behind him waved his hand and smiled. "This is Stede Bonnet."

"Evening!" The chubby man greeted. Mina smiled at him and waved, mouthing a 'hello,' while Dorothea did the same.

"Dorothea's the name," she retorted and gave Mina a quick wink. "Look how late it is, I better _leave_ _you two alone_," she pronounced each word slowly, straining 'alone' while looking at the merchant next to Edward, who seemed to receive the hint.

"Truth be told, it's time for me as well, I will see you later Edward," the man said, smiling before trotting away.

"I thought we were-," Mina began but her friend cut her off.

"It was lovely seeing you again, we shall meet another day!"

"No wait! Don't leave me here with him-," she replied but the tall woman gave them quick smile before disappearing in the shadows.

"Am I _really_ that bad?" He asked, sounding offended, suddenly taking her by both arms and nuzzling his nose in her neck, her skin already responding.

"No, I didn't mean it like that, I just-," she breathed heavily as he provoked her, his heat enveloping her again, that familiar feeling returning.

"I'm leaving tonight," he whispered. Her eyes were about to close, but suddenly widened, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise, her lips letting out a gasp, all against her will.

"What? Why so suddenly?"

"You sound dismayed, is this longing I hear?" He teased, his lips catching the rim of her ear, it's surface heated and crimson. She squealed and shook her head, but he knew she was just denying it because she felt obliged to.

"Why?" She asked again, this time lowering her voice. He let her go and smirked, thinking his cunning plan over again, however not having time to explain it.

"Long story, there is a chance I might get caught," he replied, voice care-free as if getting caught was the least of his worries. "If you feel like helping, meet me at the local prison entrance."

"Prison? What business do you have in the prison?"

"I'm planning to free the Sage, I just need you to distract the guards."

"I'll think about it," she whispered. He nodded apprehensively and took her hand.

"If you decide to, I will be waiting there after midnight."

"Okay," she replied and tried to smile, not understanding what Edward needed the Sage for, feeling uncomfortable, and a little worried for him.

"Will-," she muttered, his gaze looking over into her eyes as she spoke up. "Will you be safe?" She asked, her shyness coming through, he tried to hide a warm smile, feeling only comfort and a sense of triumph as her response convinced him of her worry for his safety. It was a new feeling, one which he didn't want to let go of.

"I will, everything will be alright Mina, as long as you're there," he whispered back, she smiled briefly before turning away, still feeling his eyes glaze over her revealed neck. The sudden shiver she received when something soft and warm pressed itself to the back of her neck was heart-stopping. Long and strong fingers took hold of her hands as he pushed himself against her back, burning her again as his lascivious chest collided with her shoulder blades.

His mouth worked against her neck, reaching behind her ear, a delicate spot which only Julien had the right to feel. Edward, with his lips' wet and scalding contact with that place, stripped Julien of that right completely. She moaned, taking the mans hands and embracing her body with them, he stopped, and she cried softly in disappointment. His heated lips hovered over her skin, "please, meet me there at nightfall, I will protect you."

"I'll come," she whispered, going against her better judgment and he smiled against her skin, suddenly letting go, letting her turn to face him. Her eyes avoided his gleaming irises, but a smile tugged on the corner of her lips.

"I will see you there, Mina," he said before putting his hood on, sheltering his identity. He gave her a quick, longing, glance before running off into the distance. Darkness and the cold breeze was left behind, but his warmth still stuck to her body, and she couldn't shake off the feeling, that she never felt so alive as when he was with her, already missing his touch, even if she lied to herself that she didn't. Deep down, she wanted his lips all along.

* * *

More to come soon!

Thank you so much for reading, if you liked this chapter/story please leave a Review/Fave/Follow so you don't miss any upcoming chapters :3 I will be very thankful for any feedback. =^^=

Till next time!


	10. X - It's Time

Hello,

New chapter! More of Eddy and Mina! :D Thank you for all the reviews and I look forward to more :3

****Disclaimer **\- **Everyone, except my OC (and any other OC's later on), belong to Ubisoft.

**Chapter X in which Edward and Mina plan to infiltrate Governor Torres' prison and retrieve the Sage...**

_\- AssassinSuzy ^^_

* * *

__"I want food that don't make me sick. I want walls that hold back the wind. I want a decent life."__

_**X - It's Time**_

"Edward? Edward where are you?" She hissed, hiding behind the wooden wall of a nearby house, on looking the secured and guarded entrance of the prison. She suddenly felt someone grab her from behind, pressing their hand to her mouth to muffle any oncoming screams. She panicked for a second before noticing the familiar scars on the surface of the skin and sighed into the warmth of the palm. Acknowledging the lack of protest, Edward released her mouth, her alluring breath leaving him. He still held onto her though, not wanting to let go too soon.

"What the hell was that for?" She whispered, still hissing like a venomous snake, snapping at him.

"For the fun of it," Edward smirked, his eyes catching an oncoming patrol of guards. He immediately stared into Mina's eyes with passion as he pressed her to the wall, like he did earlier that day, this time nuzzling his nose against her neck. She smiled at how adorable his gesture was, even if the thought that it was only a distraction bothered her. The guards gave them dirty looks as they passed by, muttered something in Spanish to one another before laughing out loud like a bundle of pigs.

"Why didn't you kiss me this time?" She asked, the words escaping before she gave them a second thought. He turned to face her again after he watched the guards leave, one eyebrow raised in question.

"Did you want me to?" He countered with a question, his tenor voice layered with so many hints of what would happen if she ever let him do what he wanted with her. Although he did what he desired most of the time anyway, not caring about another's opinion.

"No, of course not, I just-," she tried to find an excuse, failing miserably as his knowing smile widened.

"Admit it, Mina, you did didn't you?"

"Stop it," she muttered before turning her eyes away, a crimson flush covering her ears while her cheeks turned a dusky pink.

"Why are you all so tense about it then? Why does your skin react when I do this-," he suddenly collided his lips with her jaw, sucking on the hot skin, he took a breath though, pausing, "or this-," his hand squeezed her thigh and she grabbed his arms, unable to find her balance, her own lips letting out a satisfied squeal.

"No, Edward," she whimpered, but he abruptly stopped and looked her in the eyes, her orbs afraid, afraid of longing for him.

"Why not? Are you not just lying to yourself?" He asked softly, pressing his temple against hers, her eyes moving upwards to avoid breaking their gaze. She pursed her lips in silent agreement, knowing perfectly well he was right. But she couldn't betray Julien.

"When I leave, all of this will be over, so why can't you let me enjoy it for a little while longer," he whispered, his fingers carefully twisting a strand of her soft hair.

"I can't betray him, you know that, Edward," she replied through faint tears. Inside, he was quite surprised at her hurt reaction, his eyes opening wider as he saw crystalline tears well up in her eyes. "But you make me feel all this," she lifted her hand up and pointed at her red cheeks, letting out a painful laugh, as if trying to find an explanation for her own behavior.

"Sometimes you must understand it's alright to feel this, even when you're not with the one you think you love. It's called being human, Mina, and that we can't help," he reached his other palm to caress her cheek, holding it up as he leaned in. She smiled as their lips were inches apart, a tear dropping from her eyes, but stopped in its tracks by his hand, sliding down his own skin, leaving an imprinted trail.

"You're right," she replied tenderly, and moved closer until their lips made contact. At first she felt the soft texture of his top lip crash against hers, but then their cracked skin interlaced together in a passionate embrace, ravishing each other's taste again. He dipped his tongue to tangle around hers, and for a few moments they stood there like that, enjoying each other's lips. When he broke the kiss, he didn't break the contact, instead kept his lips on hers for a while longer, staring into her now open eyes.

"Are you sure you want to help me?" He asked quietly.

"I came all this way to help you Edward," she replied and he smiled, nodding. He was about to let her go but she tugged on the collar of his jacket, his attention directed to her again. "Thank you, for everything," she said, trying to smile. "I wish-," she paused then, and he came close to her again, but she shook her head, smiling apologetically.

"Never mind," she muttered, but he wanted to find out. So he pressed her on.

"Tell me Mina, don't be afraid," he purred in her ear, wanting to keep his hands off her before he went too far, unable to control himself.

"I wish everything was different," she spoke meekly, and then smiled at him before moving away. "In another life, maybe we could start over, but-."

"I know. But we always have time to do that, we don't need a different life."

"You're free Edward, you can say that. But who am I? All Rogers ever did to me was use me, I have never been free, as you know. I no longer feel like I belong to anything, I wanted to give myself to Julien, but I'm afraid of the future, I'm afraid of everything around me. I just-," she breathed in and then sighed, looking deeply into his eyes, her eyebrows furrowed in pain, her gleaming orbs pleading him for something unknown, "it may seem childish, but all I want is warmth and comfort. I have never desired anything in my life besides that."

"I understand Mina," he replied, and took hold of her hand, his fingers running over her knuckles in sympathy, "you will find what you seek one day, Mina, I know you will."

"You will too Edward," she whispered and slowly let go, walking ahead of him, "you coming?" She turned her head, asking playfully. He just smiled and nodded, catching up to her as they approached the small plantation beneath the Governor's mansion. It was time to infiltrate, and Mina knew just what to do.

* * *

The night was dark and spread around a cold breeze, the various shrubs and bushes swung from side to side. There were still some people who were working on the plantation at this hour, however almost every corner was monitored by a guard or two. A guard tower could be seen in the distance, while alarm bells stood in every small area, in case of an emergency.

"What's the plan?" She asked quietly as they crouched behind a small fence.

"We have to somehow make it to the guard who has the key without raising the alarm bell."

"So how are we going to do that?" She asked again, he jumped over the fence, quickly hiding in the bush. She sighed and followed him, her movements fussy but not detectable.

"There will be some bloodshed Mina, you don't have to carry on," he whispered as her knees pressed against his, her dress stretching as she crouched down.

"I know, I can lure the guards into a specific place so you can carry on. I'll be the distraction," she explained and tugged on his arm, his eyes gleaming as he looked at her, "I won't leave you," she murmured. The darkness shrouded them, but she could still see his silhouette. He nodded with a soft smile.

"I'll tell you when to do that, let's just pass through these guards first." He whistled as a guard trotted down the dirt path, suddenly catching his attention. The man held his lantern as he peeked into the bush with suspicion. Edward suddenly grabbed him and shoved his hidden blade into the mans chest, aiming for a quick and clean kill. The guard didn't make a sound as he fell to the ground, surrounded by the bush, blood pooling beneath him. Mina avoided looking at him, but didn't feel comfortable at all. Suddenly she felt something warm as her hand interlaced with another palm. It was Edward, who smiled at her comfortingly and took hold of her. He quickly pulled her from the bush and they ran across to the cover created by the group of crops opposite. They hid there and Edward quickly took another guard out. He looked around and approached the alarm bell, cutting off the string, making it useless. He hastily returned and they moved through the cover, a small wooden shed stood in front, with a fireplace under its roof and a guard watching it. Edward got up slowly and rested his shoulder against the corner of the construction, whistling again. The guard approached the corner, surprised as Edward already pulled his hidden blade out of the man's stomach, blood spilling over. Mina didn't like the sight of blood, but still on looked Edward's speed and precision with admiration. He nodded for her to join him next to the fireplace.

"You doing alright?"

"Yes, I think so," she replied softly, her eyes following the flames. He turned to look out at the path in front of them, only to notice a haystack with a guard in front if it. Waiting for him.

"I'll come back when I clear this area out," he said before disappearing. She got up and stood behind the corner, watching him jump into the haystack and pull the guard up, stabbing him in the process. She gazed at his movements, he was one of those men who were born to kill, able to be stealthy and deadly. A man you would never want as your enemy. After a while she sighed, Edward disappearing further out of her sight.

* * *

Suddenly she felt unfamiliar hands grasp at her arms, grabbing her and sending pain down her limbs. She turned her head to notice a guard, struggling to take away her consciousness. He muttered something in Spanish, which she couldn't exactly hear, and she shoved him from side to side, trying to free herself. He snickered quietly and threw her to the ground, her back hitting the hard dirt as incredible pain shot through her being. The man stood over her, about to do something which he would regret.

"Edward, Edward help me!" She cried, closing her eyes and shielding her face with her hands. She felt the coldness of the guards hands on her knees, however the grip suddenly became even colder, before letting go, lifelessly falling to ground. She heard his whimper of pain and his last breath, before opening her eyes and looking past her palms, only to see the man collapsing on his knees, blood seeping through his uniform as his eyes rolled back. Edward stood behind him, his sword drawn, drops of blood dripping from its sharp edge. He sheathed his weapon and took the guard, quickly hiding him in a nearby bush. Mina laid on the dirt, still in shock, hands folded as she pressed them to her eyes, her lips pursed, breathing heavily, a tear running down her cheek from under her hands. The light around them seemed to hide itself as Edward crouched above her, holding his hand out for her to grasp it. Instead however, she reached both of her hands out and took hold of his collar, pulling herself up and throwing herself into him as his arms tied around her waist. She cried as she buried her face in his neck, his skin warm. She felt his hold of her tighten as one of his hands ran up and down her back in comfort.

"Everything is alright now," he whispered, and she gently nodded into his shoulder. She breathed into his skin, feeling the hairs rise in satisfaction. "Are you okay to carry on Mina?" He asked after a minute.

"Yes, I'm sorry," she muttered, letting him go, but he shook his head and reached his hand out to ruffle the hair on her head playfully.

"No need for apologies," he replied and took her hand, pulling her as they took cover in a large bush right next a stone wall and stairs, another guard treading the path up and down the stairs. "He's got the key," Edward pointed out. She took a breath, pulling herself together, and nodded, looking around. When he was close enough, she signaled for Edward to go forwards and kill another guard who was in the way, while she stepped out the bush, surprising the key holder. Her hand motioned for him to come closer, seductively, and he muttered something in Spanish before whistling playfully. She lured him closer until her body felt the stone wall, the guard in front of her, and Edward above, suddenly jumping down on the guard, killing him instantly.

"Good work," he praised and she felt a sudden warmth fill her up, happy with the few words of approval she received. She smiled and uttered a 'thanks.' He crouched down and searched the body until he found a small bronze key. He looked back at her, motioning for her to follow. They ran over through more covers until they reached a stone entrance and gate, Edward taking out the necessary guards in the process.

"What is this?" He said as they approached two bodies in front of the entrance, blood splattered across the pebbles that covered the ground. She covered her mouth with her hands, stifling a gasp. He motioned for her to wait and entered the prison, only to find a massacre of guards, with the Sage nowhere to be seen. All of a sudden, he heard Mina scream and turned around only to receive a fist to the nose, collapsing to the ground. The pain resounded through him, accompanied by an immediate nose bleed, blood trickling down his lips. He held onto it, trying to stop the bleeding. The Governor's body-guard, clothed in unbreakable armor, was about to give him another punch but Torres held his hand out to stop him. He shouted 'enough' in Spanish and approached Edward, who looked up and noticed Mina held by two arms by none other than Rogers, struggling and begging him to let go.

"Bastard thought he could drag her into his scheme," Rogers growled, holding her tightly, without mercy.

"Let her go!" Edward shouted, but Torres just hovered over him as the pirate regained his balance.

"What is your name, Rogue?" The old man asked. He glared at Rogers before turning to Torres, spitting some blood on the stone floor, and then laughing.

"It's a," he paused, grinning, "Captain Piss-off."

"Typical," Rogers muttered. He suddenly groaned in pain as he felt something collide with his stomach, discovering it was Mina's elbow. He let go of her arms, grasping at the muscle in pain. "Bitch! Come back here!" He shouted. She ran towards a rather surprised Edward, his eyes catching hers and his grin widening as he felt her hand press against his cheek in compassion. Rogers was about to take hold of her again, but Torres didn't let him.

"Keep calm," Torres said, letting Mina tend to the injured Edward.

"I never thought you to be so sneaky my dear girl, first it was me, then poor Julien, and now it's this man. I wonder who else you have tangled around your fingers?" Rogers said through clenched teeth, smirking. She looked back at him, not being able to believe that he would have the courage to accuse her like that. The words hurt, but he was heartless in the beginning, and always will be. Nothing could be changed about him.

"Shut it!" Edward replied, but the man only brushed it off.

"Has Julien told you yet, Mina? Or maybe Edward was the one to share the news?"

"What are you taking about?" She asked, thinking he was attempting to trick her again. Edward knew what was coming, and gritted his teeth in guilt.

"Didn't you know? Your beloved Julien has chosen to leave you, for his homeland France."

"You're lying!" She shouted, afraid to look into Edward's eyes, discovering only the painful truth. "It's not true is it?" She asked him. He looked away in apology, and could hear her gasp.

"You forced him to didn't you, you sick bastard!" She said, her eyes full of hate, before turning away, already feeling a tear falling from her eye.

"Why don't you ask him that, one day?"

"Were you the one to set the Sage free?" Torres asked, cutting in.

"No, as much as I wish I was," Edward replied, a bitter smile on his face. His strong façade faltered at the sight of the crying woman.

"Take him to the Port, then send him to Seville with the Treasure Fleet," the wrinkling man spoke out, his voice layered with only hateful disappointment.

"No, please!" Mina suddenly cried, taking hold of Edward's hand. He smiled at her in pain and whispered.

"I'll be fine, wait for me in Nassau."

"Away with him, and you," the Governor pointed at the crying woman, "don't get involved, you have ruined yourself as it is." His voice was harsh and scolding. But she held Edward, not wanting to let him go. He quickly pressed a kiss to her forehead, wanting to get one last taste of her skin, surprising her for a second before the two guards violently lifted him up, grabbing his arms, taking him from her. Her heart felt torn apart, she was losing yet another friend. Someone who cared. Someone who was idiotic and messed with her for no reason, but at the same time made her desire more than what she had. Made her desire freedom. _Him_. _He was freedom_.

"I've delivered your treasures!" Edward shouted as they exited the prison, and Torres followed.

"Yes, but you rid us of Duncan Walpole."

"Come with me, your old life is waiting for you," Rogers muttered, his voice suddenly softer, attempting to be inviting.

"Go to hell," she replied sharply, never once looking into his scornful eyes.

"You don't have a choice," he said, this time hinting that he was losing his short temper. She felt his hands grab her again, lifting her up even if she was unable to find her balance. "From now on, you will regret you ever left me," he threatened, shoving her forward and dragging her out of the prison, and into the darkness that shrouded the sky, a new fear flamed inside her, and the only man who could help her, was the now captured Edward Kenway.

* * *

:O What will Mina do?!

Thank you so much for reading, if you liked this chapter/story please leave a Review/Fave/Follow so you don't miss any upcoming chapters :3 I will be very thankful for any feedback. =^^=

Till next time!


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